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Oslo and Trondheim

Since the mid 1990s Gullvåg has received great acclaim for his portrait-projects, whereupon commissions have started pouring in. He painted a series of notable persons such as rector Lucy Smith, the actor Rut Tellefsen and Supreme Court Justice Carsten Smith (1999).

In working with a portrait, the process starts with Gullvåg photographing the model from a variety of angles. Using several rolls of film, he seeks to capture a moment when the character slips out and is revealed. Only when the artist has found the essential features of his subject does he begin to paint the portrait. Eventually freed from the photographs and the model, he concentrates on the portrait as a painting. Painterly means are explored, such as colour, or pictorial elements, that can help emphasize the model’s character.

Central portraits:
Rector Lucy Smith (commissioned by the University of Oslo)
Actor Rut Tellefsen (commissioned by the National Theatre)
Supreme Court Justice Carsten Smith, 1999 (commissioned by the Supreme Court)