Since her graduation from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design, Department of Fine Art, in 2001, Torunn Skjelland has been an active part of the Bergen art scene before moving to Oslo in 2014. A significant part of her artistic practice revolves around painting, both independently and in collaboration. She has completed several large-scale public art commissions, where painting plays a central role.

In this lecture, Torunn Skjelland will explore her approach to painting as a form of dialogue in the context of public art commissions. She will share insights from her long-standing collaborative painting projects, presenting various methods and approaches to collaboration, and reflecting on how painting can foster communication between the artist, the environment, and the community.

Torunn Skjelland is known for her large-scale figurative public art commissions and her exploration of painting as both an individual and collaborative process. She holds a degree in fine arts from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design (2001). Skjelland has taught at the Bergen School of Art for ten years and has also lectured and served as an examiner for BA students at KHiB. Her work is often driven by context, examining how location and cultural background shape our perception and interpretation of visual art.

Primarily a painter, Skjelland focuses on motifs that transition from photography to painting, exploring how we perceive, elevate, and interpret visual imagery. Craftsmanship is essential in her work, where brushstrokes, color, simplification, and the amount of information influence the reading of the piece. Her art projects are deeply context-driven, with the location and exhibition setting playing a crucial role. Skjelland is interested in different perspectives and how cultural references shape the way we perceive the world—what we see and how we see it.

Skjelland has completed numerous large-scale public art commissions, including an outdoor mural at the Mårdalen light rail stop in Bergen, as well as works for schools and healthcare institutions across Norway. She has held multiple solo exhibitions and participated in national group exhibitions such as Vestlandsutstillingen, Østlandsutstillingen, and Statens Høstutstilling.

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The lecture is held at Knut Knaus Auditorium, Møllendalsveien 61. The location has step free access. The lecture is held in English and is free and open to all.

Monday Lectures is a public platform combining invited guest lecturers and professors and researchers of the faculty at KMD. Monday Lectures aim to create a diverse programme of lectures exploring a wide range of disciplines and research topics. Lectures typically take place on Mondays at 10:00 at the Knut Knaus Auditorium and are free and open to all.