Venke Sletbakk (1940-2017) - Abstraction

Original painting made in oil and gouache on paper by the Norwegian artist Venke Sletbakk (1940-2017)

Title: Abstract Composition

Artist: Venke Sletbakk (1940-2017)

Technique: oil and gouache on paper

Style: abstract

Signature: signed bottom right and dated 2000

Format: 40 x 30 cm

Condition: very good condition

Venke Sletbakk (1940-2017) was a Norwegian visual artist, painter, sculptor and printmaker, deeply influenced by the imagination of the Great North. A multidisciplinary artist, her work swung between figurative trompe-l'œil and lyrical abstraction.

• Education and academic path
Venke Sletbakk benefited from a cosmopolitan university and artistic journey across Europe:
- Norway: She earned her baccalaureate in Kirkenes.
- Austria: She studied art history, ethnology, archaeology and foreign languages at the University of Innsbruck.
- France: She settled in Paris where she earned a Doctorate in Letters (ethnology specialization), directing her thesis research toward textile.

• Artistic training and techniques
Parallel to her academic research, she refined her practice of the visual arts in several renowned institutions and studios:
- She attended many Beaux-Arts workshops in Paris to work on drawing and printmaking.
- She trained in the demanding trompe-l'œil techniques at the private workshop of painter Jean Grimal.
- Passionate about materials, she undertook training in tapestry weaving in Senlis.

• Style and influences
Her artistic universe is characterized by an immense variety of media and mixed techniques (collage, oil, acrylic, ink, various pigments). Marked by her Nordic origins, a large part of her inspiration comes from prehistory and the study of rock carvings of the Great North. Her textile work, like her tapestries, blends contemporary art and artisanal tradition.

She participated in numerous exhibitions:
• In France (Paris and regions)
- Galerie Liliane François (Paris 6th, rue de Seine): One of the flagship galleries in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district where she exhibited in 1996.
- Le Cercle Norvégien de Paris (Paris 1st, rue de Rivoli): A highly symbolic cultural space for the artist, where she unveiled her creations in 1992.
- La Maison de Norvège (Paris 14th, Cité Internationale Universitaire): She organized a major solo exhibition there in 1996.
- Point Insolite (Paris 5th, Place de la Contrescarpe): Parisian artistic space occupied by the artist in 1992.
- La Tour du Jacquemart (Moulins-sur-Allier): Regional exhibition in 1992, praised by the local press.
- Casino Le Vegas (Saint-Honoré-les-Bains): An off-site exhibition of her paintings and mixed media works in 1996.
• In Norway (Great North and Lofoten Islands)
- Galerie Konrad (Svolvær, Lofoten): Reputable gallery located in an archipelago with unique magnetic light, where she exhibited in 1997.
- Savio-museet / Savio Museum (Kirkenes): A significant consecration in 2000 in her hometown, this museum is dedicated to art and culture of the Great North (notably Sámi art).
- Polaria (Tromsø): Cultural center and exhibition venue beyond the Arctic Circle, where her prehistoric and rock carving-inspired works were shown in 2001.