Nordic Artwork.com presents new Scandinavian Art Online Store & Gallery

Nordic Artwork.com presented “Nordic Expressions” from August 19 – August 25, 2013 at 15 Laight Street, Tribeca, New York, but the high-quality Scandinavian art gallery pieces are also available to view and purchase online at www.NordicArtwork.com. 

By Kirsten Vibe Philippides, The Danish Pioneer Newspaper’s New York Local Editor

Kirsten Wildfang and Tina Kryger developed the concept of Nordic Artwork as a way for individuals and businesses to collect high-quality art in an easily accessible way. In the creation of NordicArtwork.com, the two ladies are bringing contemporary Scandinavian artists to new markets.

Both Wildfang and Kryger grew up in Denmark and they retain strong ties to their Scandinavian and artistic roots. Nordic Artwork exhibits the work of contemporary established Scandinavian artists.

Each of the artists represented by Nordic Artwork is established in Scandinavia and has been selected for craftsmanship, excellence and international appeal. They aspire to bring style and inspiration to your spaces with the clean lines of Nordic art. On their homepage, they proclaim to sell both individual pieces and complete solutions to private and commercial spaces. They offer to put together a series of artworks especially designed for the client’s needs including themes, colors and sizes. They guarantee the client’s satisfaction.

The gallery, which was opened from August 19-25, 2013 only, hosted a successful, huge reception in 15 Laight Street, right next to Aamanns Copenhagen restaurant.

Cultural Attache Maiken T. Derno delivered the opening remarks at the reception. On behalf of the Consulate General of Denmark in New York, she congratulated the nine participating artists as well as the two founders Wildfang and Kryger on their bold new concepts for both gallery and exhibition, and she spoke about the many challenges and potential pitfalls that Danish artists face in the New York City art scene: “The very concept of an online gallery seems to defy the logic of ‘becoming a presence’,” she said. “It is by definition something virtual, devoid of a need for presence of both physical art work and artist. Yet, in a paradoxical way, it does seem to offer that much cherished platform for ‘being seen’ and ‘ becoming known’ which so often holds the key to success here in New York and which many talented Danish artists are hoping to find.”

Many of the exhibiting artists had flown in to attend and I got a chance to photograph them in front of their artworks. See all of the colorful pictures here at www.thedanishpioneer.com. The reception was catered by Aamanns Copenhagen right next door, and the juicy little morsels were washed down with the freely flowing champagne.

The artists’ names are: Christina Blaabjerg, Frank Buchgraitz, Christina Kjelsmark, Martin Eggert, Saveed Fadavi, Gerda Louise Buchgraitz, Andre Lundquist, Hanne Støvring & Janusz Tyrpak.

Andre Lundquist

Andre was born in Denmark in 1972 and became an apprentice at the age of 14 with the Danish artist Therese Dragshoj, who taught him about painting, layering, composition and color. At the age of 24, Mr. Lundquist had his first exhibit, and has since had numerous shows at several Danish and European galleries. Furthermore, Mr. Lundquist has also received several grants that have allowed him to study in Spain, Italy, Austria and Sweden. Mr. Lundquist explores the the idea of the “naked human being” which is his main  focus throughout his artistic works. He depicts the humor in its pure, non-restricted spirit without being tied to time or space,  from cubistic slim figures to more full-bodied figures, which were bodily and spiritually related. The paintings are created at his studio in Copenhagen and in his studio in the small village of Boaryd in Sweden. The surroundings in the big city and in the countryside, inspire him just as much as the modernistic and post-modernistic inheritance. He enjoys the inspiration from the people in the street of the city, as well as the atmosphere of the studio in the old parish hall with the Swedish wilderness outside the windows.

Christina Blaabjerg

Christina was born in 1975 in Denmark. She attended the Fine Art Academy of Aarhus from 2004-2008 and has had numerous shows throughout Denmark as well as in Sweden and in France. Since 2005 Ms. Blaabjerg depicts the contrasts between nature and architecture in her urban paintings. The use of colors, perspective and the linear strokes are the  characteristics of her works of art. She is fascinated by the urban landscape and composes the often chaotic city in a structured manner by the use of linear compositions and vibrant colors. The chaos versus order is a key element in her works of art.

Christina Kjelsmark 

Born in 1969, Christina holds Master’s degrees in social science and art history as well as attended the Fine Art Academy and the Institute of Art in Aarhus. She works as an artist, author, illustrator and teacher while simultaneously running her studio and gallery in Denmark. Furthermore she has published numerous books on art with the publishing house that she owns with her husband. Kjelsmark is inspired by the flora and fauna in her native Denmark. The contrast between the elements, air, water and earth are often explored in her work. Her work often depicts the untouched landscapes of the Faroe Islands where she finds inspiration among the dramatic nature, sheer cliffs and native puffins. Her use of color and line seem almost to depict the energy, mood and movement of the landscapes she paints.

Saveed Fadavi

He was  born in 1960 in Iran, attended the Kolding Design School as well as the Architectural School in Aarhus. In 1994, he opened his own studio and in 1995, he co-founded the School for Art and Design where he currently works as a teacher and an advisor. He has created large, collaborative art projects and installations throughout Denmark acting as artistic leader, advisor and motivator. Interaction between people inspires Fadavi which he expresses in his figurative style.An innate melancholy with a passion for life drives him. His later works have become a psychological portrait of women, seen from a male perspective.

Frank Buchgraitz

 

Born in Denmark in 1947, Frank is a self-taught painter and his work has been exhibited throughout Denmark. He and his wife, Gerda Louise Buchgraitz, also an artist, own a gallery and studio in Denmark. His paintings are immensely energic with strong colors and whimsical characters. The paintings bring an element of Danish humor and create a tone to the pieces that affords the viewer a certain intimacy with Buchgraitz’ characters.

Gerda Louise Buchgraitz

Born in 1946, Gerda studied graphic design at the Art Academy of Aarhus in Denmark, but quickly began to paint instead. She and her husband, also an artist, own a studio and gallery in Denmark,. Her work has been shown in numerous galleries throughout Denmark. Buchgraitz’ works utilize a range of colors and abstract figures to render concepts of suppression, challenges and choices. Her work with light colors and shadows highlights  the solitude of her figures, even when amongst a crowd.

Hanne Støvring

Born in 1978, Hanne holds a Master’s Degree in art history from the University of Aarhus. She is currently head of development of fund-raising and partnerships at the National Gallery of Art in Copenhagen and has shown her work for nearly twenty years in galleries throughout Denmark. The beauty of Bornholm, a Danish island off the coast of Sweden, inspired Støvring’s paintings. She works with human figures in warmer tones, with colors and shapes representing the elements. Her paintings seem to transcend the viewer to a dream-like state, away from the pedestrian trivialities.

Janusz Tyrpak

was born in 1963 in Muszyna, Poland and attended the Academy of Fina Art in Krakow. He then moved to Denmark in 1990 and had his first exhibit at Charlottenborg, Copenhagen. Tyrpak has shown his work in more than 32 countries as well as having received numerous prizes and recognitions for his works. Tyrpak’s work is expressive and emotions radiate through the pieces, his own mortality and passion is apparent in his pieces. He uses vibrant colors and displays of intimacy to convey his abstract concepts. He often depicts fragments of the body – leaving the viewers’ imagination to complete the picture.

Martin Eggert

Martin Eggert, born in 1964, taught himself to paint. His super-realistic paintings also appear as photographs, as he depicts characteristics elements of the Danish landscape. He captures the Nordic light perfectly in the fields of grain, meadows, forests and the sea in various seasons. Eggert engages the viewer’s emotions with his wistful landscapes ranging in subjects from the idyllic, quiet summer evening to threatening clouds looming over a solitary tree.