Specialising in printmaking, Magnus Gjoen’s striking artworks often draw on art historical imagery from museums to create a material tension between the traditional and the contemporary, the past and the present. Trained in both fine art and fashion design, his early career saw him designing shoes for the legendary Vivienne Westwood thanks to his eye for detail and luxury, and meticulous and opulent designs.
Often, themes of mortality, death and decay surface in his work. Yet, these dark themes are juxtaposed with representations of power, eternity and glamour. This duality invites viewers to reflect on the impermanence of life and the enduring allure of power and beauty. He also has the ability to subvert traditional perceptions, taking culturally significant objects and reimagining them in ways that challenge preconceived notions, such as transforming firearms into decorative objects. While deeply rooted in historical references, Gjoen is not afraid to embrace modern techniques and mediums. His use of 3D lenticular prints adds a different dimension to his work, creating an illusion of depth and movement that draws viewers in.
In our latest In The Studio interview, we speak to Magnus Gjoen about his journey and life as an artist.
/ Tell us about your studio? I have a studio in London and a studio just outside Florence in Chianti. I go in between the two but most of the physical aspect of my work gets done in London.
/ What’s your background? I studied fashion design and worked in fashion for 15 years before I returned to art.
/ How do you find motivation? Motivation comes from many sources, but seeing a beautiful porcelain figurine you’ve designed or a rock crystal grenade gives me “Oh my god, I did that” motivation.
/ What drives your work? An artwork conveys a story. It might not be the same story or the same person who views it and that’s wonderful. I like when collectors relate to a piece differently than what I first intended. We should all think for ourselves.
/ If you could choose one song from one album to reflect your work, what would it be? Infra-Red by Placebo.
/ Where do you draw inspiration from? My inspiration comes from anywhere, but I am prone to visiting museums and hidden away churches to discover their splendours.
/ Which three colours could you not do without? Cyan, magenta and yellow.
/ How has your style or subject matter changed or developed? I’ve had retrospective shows and people didn’t realise it was all from one artist; me. I liked that. There is always a red thread but I use a vast range of mediums and like exploring new techniques.
/ What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? “What will you do next?” – which made me realise that I should continue learning, creating and developing.
/ Who inspires you? What! Beauty in man made objects, even if they were made to destroy it.
/ If you could own one piece of artwork what would it be? ‘The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb’ by Hans Holbein the Younger. Very early on I did an artwork based on this piece. You get quite attached to a dead Christ if you work on him for several months.
/ Alongside yourself, who would be in your ideal group exhibition (from any period of time)… and what’s the title? There are too many great artists past and present to even begin.
/ What are you currently working on and what’s next? I have been asked by Formitalia, who produces my Home Jewel collection here in Italy to do some pieces of furniture. I get quite giddy when I manage to create something outside of my comfort zone but still see it has your hallmark aesthetics. It is being readied for Salone del Mobile in Milan early next year.
If you are fascinated by the intersection of history and contemporary themes, and the ability of art to challenge and inspire, Magnus Gjoen's work is for you.
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