Gallery Lofoten

allery Lofoten has Norway’s largest collection of paintings from Northern Norway dating back to the turn of the last century – a period by many called the golden age of North Norwegian painting. On the gallery’s ground floor you find a collection of paintings by renowned artists like Otto Sinding, Gunnar Berg, Even Ulving, Adelsteen Normann, Einar Berger, Ole Juul, Thorolf Holmboe and others. The gallery’s first floor is divided into two sections – one exhibiting watercolours by Lars Lerin and one exhibiting pictures and ceramic works by Her Majesty Queen Sonja. Lars Lerin is born in Munkfors in Värmland, Sweden and is currently living at Hammarø outside Karlstad. Lars Lerin has lived in Lofoten for several years and is considered one of the world’s most outstanding watercolourists. He is known for his quite unique technique and he has developed his very own method in his use of colours. Grey, blue, and ochre dominate in varying nuances and nature is central to his art. Himself, he says that ‘in reality, light is my subject’. HM Queen Sonja’s lifelong interest in art has resulted in art history studies, an extensive art collection, and her own artistic production. The Queen has studied various techniques and been in apprenticeship with a number of artists. Tre Reiser Tre Landskap (‘Three Journeys Three Landscapes’) with Kjell Nupen and Ørnulf Opdahl in 2012 and Texture with Magne Furuholmen in 2016 are two of her most central art projects. The exhibition shows a number of works by HM Queen Sonja where she applies different techniques like lithography, monotype, etching, woodcut, and aquatint. A varied selection of the Queens ceramic works are also on display.