Ross Kolby

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Ross Kolby
Ross Kolby.jpg
Born7th November 1970
Baerum, Norway
NationalityNorwegian
OccupationArtist, author
Years active1996 - present
Websitewww.rosskolby.com

Ross Kolby (born 7 November 1970) is a Norwegian visual artist and author. His paintings are often political and reference classical art, historical events and debate contemporary topics. With the use of both modern and classical symbols as well as symbolic persons Kolby has worked with themes as racism, the clerical abuse of children in the Catholic Church and the Anders Behring Breivik 2011 Norway Attacks.

Kolby received death threats in 1997 when about to exhibit his historical painting The murder of Pope John Paul I in Oslo and withdrew the painting from the show. He also works extensively with portraits and has among others painted the three generations of Norwegian monarchs involved in the events of WWII and Dame Vera Lynn.

His paintings have been donated to Norway's Crown Regalia Museum, Norway's Resistance Museum, Royal Norwegian Navy Museum as well as to the Royal Albert Hall. Kolby has also published two novels, a fantasy story about the 12 year old English boy Will O'Phillie and a historical drama from the witch processes in the Northern Norway in the 1600s.

Education[]

Kolby is educated at Asker kunstfagskole (1991-1992), Oslo National Academy of the Arts (1992–1998) and Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma (1995). He lived and worked in Copenhagen from 1999 to 2004, but has since then been located in Oslo.

Artwork[]

In his works Kolby debates themes such as racism, handicapped people's rights, environmental problems, sexual abuse of children, war and political conflict. He has several times used popes as symbols in his paintings. Kolby received death threats when he was about to exhibit his historical motif The murder of Pope John Paul I in 1997 and withdrew the artwork from the show.[1] The canvas was subsequently exhibited the year after. Also in his works dealing with racism and catholic priests' sexual abuse of children Kolby uses a pope as the motif.[2]

In 2013 he produced and appeared in the documentary film And the truth shall make you free about the child abuse in the Catholic Church.[3]

After Anders Behring Breivik’s 2011 Norway attacks in Oslo and at Utoya on 22 July Kolby painted a Yara International bag of artificial fertilizer to debate extremism and the individual's responsibility of using or abusing available technology.[4]

Harald V of Norway and Kolby at the unveiling ceremony.

In connection with the celebration of 70 years since the liberation from Nazi-Germany’s occupation of Norway, Kolby in 2015 was commissioned by Samlerhuset to portray Norway's three generations of monarchs attached to the events of WWII, as a gift to Norway's Resistance Museum at Akershus Fortress.[5] He painted Harald V, Olav V and Haakon VII in a triple portrait with the title The Kings of the Liberation.[6][7][8][9]

To the celebrations of the 25th year Consecration Jubilee of the reign of Norway's Harald V and Queen Sonja in 2016[10] Kolby was commissioned by Samlerhuset in 2016 make a painting as a gift the Crown Regalia Museum in the medieval Archbishop's Palace, Trondheim.[11] He painted the King's and Queen's crowns in a motif with elements symbolizing Norwegian history.

In 2019 the London Mint Office, a mail order company, gave a portrait of Dame Vera Lynn to Royal Albert Hall in London.[12][13][14][15]

References[]

  1. ^ Gr, Toril; E (1997-11-08). "Trekker bilde fra utstilling". Dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  2. ^ "– Dette er provoserende og støtende for folk | Budstikka". 2015-05-08. Archived from the original on 2015-05-08. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  3. ^ And the truth shall make you free [HQ], retrieved 2020-01-18
  4. ^ Tjellaug, Ane Bamle (2012-09-12). "Malte gjødselsekk og ikke våpen". Varden (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  5. ^ Veka, Camilla; Grønneberg, ers (2015-03-26). "Tre nye kongeportretter er avduket". Dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  6. ^ "Kongemåleri avduka". www.kongehuset.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  7. ^ Craig, Elin Reffhaug (2015-03-26). "Her avduker kong Harald portrettet av seg selv". www.budstikka.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  8. ^ "Portretter av "Frigjøringskongene" / Hjemmefrontmuseet / Forsvarets museer - Website Interface". forsvaretsmuseer.no. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  9. ^ FILM NORWAY, HACIENDA (2015-06-17), The kings of the liberation, retrieved 2020-01-18
  10. ^ "Revisiting the consecration ceremony". www.royalcourt.no. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  11. ^ Kristiansen, Kai (2016-11-09). "Dette kongelige maleriet ble avduket i Nidarosdomen i dag". adressa.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  12. ^ "Dame Vera Lynn portrait to hang on display at Royal Albert Hall". www.midsussextimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  13. ^ Carlsen, Marianne Rustad (2019-01-09). "Norsk kunstner maler Vera Lynn i all hemmelighet". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  14. ^ "Dame Vera Lynn portrait goes on display at the Royal Albert Hall". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  15. ^ documentary film Dame Vera Lynn - The Voice of a Nation;

External links[]

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