Kristian Evju (b. 1980 Kongsberg, Norway) is a Norwegian artist based in London, UK, making exquisitely detailed pencil drawings and paintings. He received his BA (Hons) Painting and Drawing from Edinburgh College of Art in 2007, followed by a Masters degree in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art in 2011. Evju is best known for making enigmatic and unpredictable graphite drawings and paintings based on project-specific historical archives. By transporting historical individuals, objects and settings into new contexts, the artist liberates them from their assigned narrative, thus provoking discussion around the limitations of representation and also the cultural associations attached to certain types of imagery.
Solo exhibitions include (Upcoming) Kristin Hjellergjerde Gallery, London, UK (2025); (Upcoming) Galleri Semmingsen, Oslo (2025); The Other, Venet-Haus Galerie, Ulm, Germany (2023); Interventions, ASC Brixton Beneficiary, London, UK (2022); Interventions, Hamar Kunstforening, Hamar, Norway (2020); Perfect Strangers, Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh (2018); The Way I Remember You Now, Venet Haus Galerie, Neu-Ulm (2017); Machinations, Galleri Semmingsen, Oslo (2017); Grenseland, Gulden Kunstverk, Steinberg (2016); Assemble: Dissemble, Telemark Art Museum, Notodden (2015); Lie me a River, Aalesund Kunsthall (KHÅK), Ålesund (2015); Dark River, Venet Haus Galerie, Neu-Ulm (2014); Memoirs of the Other, Gallery 39K, Lahore (2013); Memoirs of the Other, Accesso Contemporary Art, Pietrasanta (2012); Limbus, Gulden Kunstverk, Steinberg (2010); Faber-Castell and the Years of Distraction, Drawing Centre, Oslo (2009); Kongsberg Kunstforening, Kongsberg, Norway (2008).
Group exhibitions include New Acquisitions, British Museum, London, UK (2024); Drawing Biennial, Drawing Room, London, UK (2024); Sommerutstilling, Galleri Semmingsen, Oslo, Norway (2024); St Leonards Meets the World (curated by Paul Carey-Kent), Electro Studios, St Leonards-on-sea, UK (2024); Where the Wild Roses Grow, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2023); 10 year anniversary, Venet-Haus, Rot (2023); Lost Girls, Warchild Auction, Flowers Gallery, London (2023); Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke, UK (2023); Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London, UK (2022); Gross-Art-IG, Galerie Hegemann, Munich, Germany (2022); Derwent Art Prize, London/ Paris (2022); Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, UK (2022); Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London, UK (2021); Figurative Art Now 2021, London, UK (2021); Weighing In, C24 Gallery, New York, USA (2020); The Seventh View, C24 Gallery, New York, USA (2020); Beyond Other Horizons, Isai Museum of Art, Isai, Romania (2020); All the Days and Nights, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2020); Evju & Evju, Lågdalsmuseer, Kongsberg, Norway (2019); Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery, London (2019); Hvor Kommer Du Fra, Galleri Semmingsen, Oslo (2019); Yo, What’s The Swing Scene Like Here, curator William Davie, Colour Index Agency, London (2019); ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London (2019); Intensity, curator Paul Carey-Kent, House of St. Barnabas, London (2019); Jerwood Drawing Prize, The Gallery AUB, Bournemouth (2017); and Everything Exists Now, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2017).
Highlights and collections
Kristian Evju has been the recipient of many international prizes. Most recently he was the recipient of the 2021 Figurative Art Prize, Federation of British Artists, London, he was also shortlisted for the 2022 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, London, UK. In 2018, he was awarded with Most Ambitious and Overall Impact Awards at the Winter Salon Concept Space, London. Additionally, Kristian Evju has been the recipient of the 2021 One-year grant, Norwegian Arts Council and the 2016 League Residency, New York among others. Evju’s work can be found in various national and international collections such as the British Museum, London; Venet-Haus Fondation, Neu-Ulm, Germany; Schirm Collection, Berlin, Germany; ICart Collection, Oslo, Norway; the Buskerud Fylkeskommune, Norway; the Flesburg Kommune, Felsburg, Norway; Edinburgh College of Art Collection, UK; Central Bank of Norway, Oslo, Norway; ANSA collection, Oslo, Norway; the Rollag Kommune, Rolag, Norway.