A retro-perspective interview with multidisciplinary artist Elin Hauklien, after the group art exhibition “Don’t Ask Why” at Gallery Albin Upp at Briskeby in Oslo, Norway, the 2nd – 14th of April 2024. The exhibition was initiated and arranged by Prikkart Gallery, a Norwegian online Gallery.
What were your expectations for the exhibition?
Since this was the first official art exhibition, I have been part of, I think the expectation I had was mainly to gain experience and enjoy it. Having the chance to connect and learn from more experienced artists and potential future curators and clients was also something I was hoping for.
How would you describe Gallery Albin Upp?
It reminded me of a small house in a fairytale, full of hidden gems. A gallery with vintage charm and atmosphere, a place with personality. I could not have hoped for a better place to exhibit my art, I loved the space. I think the small Café Albin connected to the exhibition space was the cherry on the top enhancing the feel-good vibe and the friendly people working at the gallery.
How was the vibe at Gallery Albin Upp during the opening?
The vibe during the opening was great. The relatively small exhibition space was full and the atmosphere was chilled and happy. People were interested in the different artworks and interacting with the artists. It was very encouraging to see and feel the support from friends and family members that were present to support the different artists, myself included.
What type of artist were represented at the exhibition?
The artists presented at the exhibition were all part of the online gallery, Prikkart.com. Most of the artists expresses themselves abstractly, while some artists, like Vibeke Haviken paints more figurative. It was really great to see the variety in styles and expressions. All connected to one gallery and different techniques, styles and expressions was showcased. This made the exhibition more interesting to me.
Any artwork that stood out to you?
It is hard to only mention some few, as I really loved the variations and different artworks of everyone presented. Still, I would like to mention the artworks of Veronika Varga. I really loved her use of colors and her use of lines in her artworks. Her works were really stunning.
To take in the deeply emotional undertones in the paintings of Tonje R. Rosenberg was also very inspiring to me. I connected with her art because of her concepts and beautiful use of textures in her paintings. The freshness of Line Martinussen’s artwork, the color combinations of Line Gammelsæter, the patterns of Richard Johnsen and the musical undertones by Nanna-Kristin Arder’s artworks also made an impact on me. Honestly, every artist presented at the exhibition had some qualities I remember till today and that had an impact on me.
What artworks did you exhibit?
I did exhibit four different artworks from two different art series, that I have been working on. They were from the series ‘Return to Earthiness’ and ‘Eggstentialism’. All the artworks have in common that they are woodblock prints, they are abstract expressions of stories about people and life observed from up close and from a distance. Both series are abstract and have a rawness to them and highlight both the complexity and simplicity of life. Infused with patterns and organic shapes they are all influenced by African storytelling and lines.
Why did you select those artworks?
These artworks represent the essence of the style and topics that I explore as an artist. Although they are from two different series, they complement each other in the overlapping focus on people and of the observation of life. Woodblock print is one of my favorite mediums to work with, so the selection came naturally.
What did you appreciate the most about the exhibition?
I think it was the fantastic support and encouragement from family and friends in Norway that really warmed my heart the most. Since my husband and I currently live in South Africa it was just amazing to feel the warmth, support and hospitality of old-time friends and family in Norway. The support from Morten Schie and Espen Spanli from Prikkart.com was also so much appreciated, as they were so flexible and helpful. It was also awesome to meet the other artists at Prikkart.com and to get to know some of them better. It was a taste of a beginning of something, it was a great experience that helped me to gain a bit of confidence on my artistic journey.
Where your expectations fulfilled?
Absolutely. My main aim was to connect with people and to gain experience and I got so much more than that!
What did you learn from the exhibition?
To me it emphasized the importance of meeting people in person and connecting with people face to face and not only online. Especially in today’s social media world, where so much of the connecting happens online, it just proved to me the value of the old time classic, to meet people in person. The impact is deeper, the connections are more solid and meeting people in person enhances collaboration and growth to me.
Any future exhibition goals?
I have a goal of more collaboration exhibitions as well as a long-time goal of a future solo exhibition. As I love expressing a theme through different mediums, I hope to have a future exhibition where I can tell “eggstentialistic” stories about life in a variation of mediums, self-blown glass included.
Any specific time-frame on that goal?
Well, since you asked, let’s set the goal for the year of 2026. Stay tuned and let’s see what happens:-)
