Jan Olav Forberg
Jan Olav Forberg is a Norwegian visual artist based in the artist town of Stavern. He has worked as a professional, organized artist since 1991, and has developed a distinctive and recognizable visual language over several decades.
Study selected images in the gallery, and if you scroll further you can read more about the artist!
Forberg's work moves between monumental architectural spaces and urban visual expressions, uniting classical composition with impulses from graffiti art and contemporary culture.
In part of his production, he explores architectural structures, facades and spatial passages. Light and shadow are used dramaturgically, giving the works a stillness and heaviness that almost feels sacred. The compositions contain depth, historical resonance and a clear spatial awareness.
In parallel, he also works with urban portraits and graphic compositions where graffiti art, spray and stencils are integrated with screen printing and traditional brushwork. Here, classic references are broken with contemporary visual language. Text, symbols and spontaneous markings create contrast with precise faces and structures.
Common to the entire production is a consistent layered structure and a clear materiality. The surfaces bear traces of process and graphic interventions that give the works physical presence and visual complexity.
Forberg has had a number of solo exhibitions and participated in major exhibitions in Norway. He has been an active and visible player in Norwegian contemporary art for several decades and has received several grants and recognition for his work.
His works have been purchased by Deichman in Oslo and have been represented in several public collections in Norway.
Today, Forberg works from his studio in Stavern, where several of his works are available to the public.