Norwegian artist Jette van der Lende has never shied away from making a statement in her artwork by telling stories about what she calls “what is important in life.” This includes social issues, politics and personal experiences that can affect everyone. The imagery is often against black backgrounds in order to place full attention on the subject.
Jette van der Lende painting in her atelier.
Book Burning, oil on linen, 27 9⁄16 x 41 11⁄32"
“Even though certain subject matters and the circumstances or situations they represent may be difficult for some people to contemplate, I seek the beauty within them regardless,” van der Lende explains. “By painting portraits of common things, I remove all connotations that may relate to specific people, places or, often, times. It is the universality of these symbols and what they represent that is significant to all of us, no matter who we are. At the same time, I paint in such a way that these compositions can be taken entirely at face value and appreciated on purely aesthetic terms as classical representational still lifes without the necessity of referencing anything beyond that.”
Brainstorm, oil on linen, 27 9⁄16 x 27 9⁄16"
If van der Lende has an idea for a composition, she’ll find an object to symbolize the thought and build a concept for how to make it stand out. “Sometimes I find something that underlines the meaning of the thought. I find the best angle to [show the object in] the way I want [it] to be seen,” she says. “I might hang it from the ceiling, place it on my glass table for reflections or I just put it in front of me.
Hugins Omen, oil on panel, 20 x 16"
I want to consider the canvas or plate as a stage for my elements, so the elements get the headline and will be the diva in the play. If something is moving, I take a photo to remember. I experiment with the light so you can see what I am trying to tell better.”
Van der Lende has received a number of awards for her artwork, and she is a member of several art associations including the International Guild of Realism.
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