Art in the Making: Jonas Daatland

The works of Jonas Daatland revolve around existential themes related to identity, masculinity and self-understanding. Behind the façade of posing and apparently self-conscious men, enhanced by the resonance of complementary colors and seductive strokes of paint, the contours of an uncertain and fleeting masculinity can be seen in contrast to gender normative ideals. The painterly qualities occupy a central place in Daatland’s artistic practice, while at the same time interacting with an underlying psychological narrative. With a strong color palette and in a technique where the paint flows organically together, the volatile nature of masculinity is emphasized.

By exploring the painterly possibilities of chance, something unpredictable is brought into the artistic process, which in turn brings tension to the motifs. In the meeting between figures and formal elements, an ambiguity arises which finds resonance in the means used in the painterly process. Contrasts and color dramatize the motivic and thematic. Subjects and images occur moved out of its original context, leaving the interpretation to the viewer. Daatland is educated at the Norwegian Fine Art Academy in Oslo.

Selected exhibitions include solo shows at Galleri Semmingsen, Galleri Brandstrup, Galleri LNM, Galleri J. Aasen, Galleri Langegaarden, and Høstutstillingen. His works are included in collections such as Norsk Kulturråd, Morten Viskum Collection, Norges Bank, Equinor.

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