Introducing Magnus Gjoen.

Art at our Richmond Store! 

The Colonials 

A landscape portrait of a Maharajah & Maharani defaced to make them smile and happy, hinting at the person behind the façade rather than that which is portrayed. 

Born in London to Norwegian parents, Magnus Gjoen grew up in Switzerland, Denmark, Italy as well as in the UK. As a contemporary artist Gjoen has exhibited worldwide and questions the notions of beauty by juxtaposing a range of styles and media, incorporating a street and pop aesthetic with a fine art approach. His pieces draw on history and allusion, using existing artworks or fragments from the past to create his own, contemporary aesthetic. 

Describing himself as an ‘accidental’ artist, Gjoen studied fine art and fashion design which led to a successful career in fashion, working for brands such as Vivienne Westwood.

Ishtar

Ishtar is a primordial baylonian goddess who’s symbol is an eight pointed star. Ishtar symbolizes love, including that between human and animals, its power, and its danger.

A move back into the art world came from decorating the walls of his London flat and realising he could do so with his own artworks. Thought-provoking and often-emotional, Gjoen’s art offers a modern spin on old masterpieces or manipulates powerful and strong objects into something fragile yet beautiful. By blending two genres from completely different worlds, his art is about rediscovery, taking things from the past and renewing them for the contemporary market. Breathing fresh air into dusty old paintings found in the far corners of a museum or lending a sense of beauty and grace to typically powerful, even dangerous objects, Magnus Gjoen’s work invites a second look. It’s this ability to engage with the viewer and get them questioning, challenging and thinking that makes him a promising and successful young artist in the contemporary art world.

Khaos

The centre is a skull covered by blue delft pottery designs. On its teeth is the date MMXVII (2017). It is surrounded by a ring of alternating scarab and stag beetles again covered with blue delft pottery designs. The background is a halo of 24ct gold leaf.

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