Interview with Mikael Øye Hegnar

Aug 21

Written By SKOG

SKOG intern Jeanne Dos Santos spoke with artist Mikael Øye Hegnar during his exhibition ¨Nothing in the Fields¨ at SKOG.

She takes us with her into Mikael’s studio.

The interview with Mikael begins with him giving me a tour of his studio. Being in his studio gets me closer to his workprocess.

While we are walking around in the studio, I ask him:

— Where do you start your process of making an art piece?

— I enjoy long processes; exploring the materials I use, their natural properties and the qualities I can give them, Mikael answers.

He emphasizes the importance of everything surrounding his artworks: the frames, eventual glass, and the materials behind the works as well.

One of the first things he shows me are the large crayons he’s made himself from beeswax and pigments. He then shows me the boards he draws on. Here, he melts the wax while illustrating. He then places thin Japanese paper on top and creates a print from the wax—after that, he lets the universe take over.

I ask him:

— Where do you he find the inspiration to work in this way?

Mikael reflects on the question for a second before he answers:

— I am very inspired by encaustic painting,
a technique that dates back to antiquity. This is the technique I am currently working with.

For over sixteen years, Hegnar has worked with a wide range of materials and forms of expression, including charcoal, textile dyes, egg tempered oil paint, fresco techniques and wax.

His practice is characterized by a continuous exploration of new techniques, blending printmaking, painting, and drawing into works that are both structured and spontaneous.
Hegnar works abstractly and emphasizes freedom, not limiting his expression by time. Flexibility—both for himself and his viewers—is important to him.

“The motifs speak for themselves.” – Hegnar

— But how do you select pieces for exhibitions? It must be challenging to choose?

I can see in the way he looks at me, that this is a question he himself has been challenged by many times before.

— it’s not easy—the space matters. In this case, I have just started revisiting some older works, which brought me new joy, he answers quickly.

Pieces he hadn’t touched in a long time.
He decided to give them new life and place them in the SKOG gallery space.

— Are there any themes you often returns to?

— To be honest, I often get “hang-ups”—It could be either shapes and forms or colors and techniques, Mikael answers while looking for different pieces in the room.

When I am looking at his work, I recognize it straight away: Repetitive forms and shapes, as with many artists.

Finally, he shows me a large mosaic piece in progress that he’s working on with his children.

— I love to engage in art works with my children, it just feels so deep to share it with them!

He tells me how much joy he gets from sharing experiences like this with them. We agreed that this is an amazing way to get to know the world—and how little things like smashing plates can bring so much joy to both children and adults. Charing experiences like this with his children will with no doubt influence his art in the upcoming years.

Hegnar studied at Einar Granum School of Fine Art and holds a BA from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and an MA from the Academy of Fine Art in Oslo.

Hegnar’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions both nationally and internationally. His works have also been acquired by the Oslo Municipal Art Collection and Norges Bank.

Interview with Mikael Øye Hegnar

SKOG to Enter Art Fair in Copenhagen

“Nothing in the Fields” by Markus Myhre & Mikael Øye Hegnar