Bjarne Melgaard (B. 1967)

Heir to the provocative brand of neo-expressionism championed by painters such as Albert Oehlen and Martin Kippenberger, Bjarne Melgaard is one of Norway’s most important contemporary artists. His paintings represent an extension of the installations and sculptures with which he made his name in the early 2000s. Cartoonish figures, rendered on a monumental scale, gaze out at the viewer against vibrant backgrounds, as rapidly executed strokes of paint flit and flicker across the surface. Melgaard has achieved widespread critical recognition over the past decade, with exhibitions at the Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo (2013) and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (2012). His works are held in international collections including the Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo and S.M.A.K., Ghent.