ALLEGORY OF THE UNKNOWN II Print

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 has been acquired for the permanent collections around the world including that of the Haifa Museum of Art and Daimler collection. He has collaborated with renowned porcelain manufacturer Meissen and London's prestigious Wallace Collection. He 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. 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 an established and successful young artist in the contemporary art world.