Kristian Evju (b. 1980 Kongsberg, Norway) who lives and works in London, UK. Evju is a Norwegian artist, making exquisitely detailed pencil drawings and paintings. He received his BA (Hons) Painting and Drawing from Edinburgh College of Art in 2007, followed by a Masters degree in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art in 201. Evju has been working on a series of drawings and paintings reimagining early 20th century female mugshots. By transporting these women into new contexts, the artist liberates the individual from their assigned narrative, thus provoking discussion around the limitations of representation and also the cultural associations attached to certain types of imagery.
Solo and duo exhibitions include The Other, Venet-Haus Galerie, Ulm, Germany (2023); Interventions, Hamar Kunstforening, Hamar, Norway (2020); Ebju & Evju, Lågdalsmuseer, Kongsberg, Norway (2019); Perfect Strangers, Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh (2018); The Way I Remember You Now, Venet Haus Galerie, Neu-Ulm (2017); Machinations, Galleri Semmingsen, Oslo (2017); Grenseland, Gulden Kunstverk, Steinberg (2016); Assemble: Dissemble, Lysbuen Museum of Art, Notodden (2015); Lie me a River, Aalesund Kunsthall (KHÅK), Ålesund (2015); Dark River, Venet Haus Galerie, Neu-Ulm (2014); Memoirs of the Other, Gallery 39K, Lahore (2013); Memoirs of the Other, Accesso Contemporary Art, Pietrasanta (2012); Dark Skies, Dyrmyr Gallery, Kongsberg (2012); Limbus, Gulden Kunstverk, Steinberg (2010); Faber-Castell and the Years of Distraction, Drawing Centre, Oslo (2009); and Kristian Evju, Kongsberg Kunstforening, Kongsberg (2009); Kongsberg Kunstforening, Kongsberg, Norway (2008).
Group exhibitions include Where the Wild Roses Grow, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2023); (Upcoming) 8 Roten Kunstsalon, Venet-Haus, Rot (2023); Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke, UK (2023); Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London, UK (2021); Figurative Art Now 2021, London, UK (2021); Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London, UK (2020); Weighing In, C24 Gallery, New York, USA (2020); The Seventh View, C24 Gallery, New York, USA (2020); Beyond Other Horizons, Isai Museum of Art, Isai, Romania (2020); All the Days and Nights, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2020); Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London (2019); Hvor Kommer Du Fra, Galleri Semmingsen, Oslo (2019); Yo, What’s The Swing Scene Like Here, curator William Davie, Colour Index Agency, London (2019); ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London (2019); Intensity, curator Paul Carey-Kent, House of St. Barnabas, London (2019); Winter Salon: Power Play, Concept Space, London (2018); London Art Fair, with Venet-Haus Galerie, London (2018), Paper Cuts,Kristian Day, Tripp Gallery, London (2017), Power Play, Winter Salon, Concept Space, London (2017); Jerwood Drawing Prize,The Gallery AUB, Bournemouth (2017); The Amorist, Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh (2017); London Art Fair, Venet-Haus Galerie, London (2017); and Everything Exists Now, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2017).
Highlights and Collections
Kristian Evju has been the recipient of many international prizes. He was shortlisted for the 2022 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf and Parker Harris, London, UK. He was the recipient of the 2021 Figurative Art Prize, Federation of British Artists, London; the 2018 Most Ambitious; Winter Salon Concept Space, London; the 2018 Overall Impact, Winter Salon, Concept Salon, Winter Salon, Concept Space, London; the 2016 Shortlisted Jerwood Draeing Price in . His work received the Conté à Paris Drawing Prize at Griffin Gallery, and the Painter-Stainers Prize for Drawing at the London Group Open in 2015, and Evju was shortlisted for the Jerwood Drawing Prize in 2018 and 2016. He was shortlisted for the 2016 Derwent Art Prize, London, UK. He received the Painter-Stainers Prize for Drawing by London Group Open; The 2015 Conté à Paris Drawing Prize, Griffin Gallery Open; the 2015 Categorically Painting Competition, Jackson Art, London. He was longlisted for the Griffin Art Price in 2015; shortlisted for the Jerwood Drawing place in 2011.
Kristian Evju has been the recipient of the 2021 One year grant, Norwegian Arts Council; the 2016 League Residency, New York, 2016 Ruth Katzman Scholarship, New York, 2016 Diversity Grant Norway, the 2014 League residency, New York and the 2014 Ruth Katzman Scholarship in New York.
Evju’s work can be found in various national and international collections such as the Venet-Haus Fondation, Neu-Ulm, Germany; the Schirm Collection, Berlin, Germany, the ICart Collection, Oslo, Norway; the Buskerud Fylkeskommune, Norway; the Flesburg Kommune, Felsburg, Norway; Edinburgh College of Art Collection, UK; the Norges Bank, Oslo, Norway; ANSA collection, Oslo, Norway; the Rollag Kommune, Rolag, Norway.