LEVATO 1997 (welded steel) from the series: THE ART OF LEVITATION
illustrated in WESTERN SCULPTURE IN THE 20TH CENTURY by Lu Pinchang, Beijing 1999 (page 56)
SONDE 1995 117x85x87 cm


Kjell Varvin (born1939 Baerum, near Oslo, Norway)
Painting, drawing, printing, sculpture, video, installation
STUDIES 1958-65:
Arts- and Crafts School, Oslo
École Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris
Bellas Artes, Sevilla and O’Porto
Artes y Oficios, Barcelona
GRANTS (selected):
State Grant for Travel- and Studies
State Grant for New Workshops
BKS Grant for Materials
State Grant for 3 Years
The Drawing Center’s grant for Travels

TRAVELS AND STAYS FOR STUDIES (selected):
2010 Residency at Emily Harvey Foundation, Venezia
2007 Pietrasanta, Italy spring
2001-02 Spain and Portugal during winter
1997 and –98, Beijing, China
1993 Nepal
1992 Egypt
1991-92 California, Japan, Thailand
1978 New York, Mexico, Arizona
1976Workshop at La Scuola Internazionale del Vetro, Murano
1961-70 France, Spain, Italy: Palermo and Venezia, Yugoslavia: Sibenik, Split
ONE MAN SHOWS:
2012 Galleri F 15, Moss
2021 NOPLACE, Oslo
2019 JAZZ PROCEDURE, festspillutstiller, Molde
2019 KOMBINERTE FRAGMENTER, Kuben, Trafo, Asker
2019 NO MEASURE NO LIMIT, retrospektiv del I og II , Tegnerforbundet, Oslo
2017 FREE GEOMETRY at Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo 
2016 USTABILE VARIABLER, Akershus kunstsenter, Lillestrøm
2016 FREE GEOMETRY at Nordnorsk kunstmuseum, Tromsø
2015 Festspillutstiller, Galleri Nord Norge, Harstad
2013 Sommerutstiller, Kongsvinger Kunstforening
2013 Kunstnerforbundet Gallery, Oslo, Norway
2012 No13 contemporary, Fredrikstad, Norway
2011 GALLERI GANN, Sandnes, Norway
2010 UNSTABLE VARIABLES, TRAFO KUNSTHALL, Asker, Norway
2009 WELDED IRON AND OTHER DRAWINGS, Erik Steen Galleri, Oslo, Norway
2007 The Drawing Center of Norway, Oslo
2004 Baerum House of Culture, Sandvika, Norway
2001 Kunstnerforbundet Gallery, Oslo, Norway
1999 Uffizi Galleriet, Hoevik, Norway
1998 The Drawing Center of Norway, Oslo
1997 Langhaus, BBK, Uelzen, Germany
1996 New Art Gallery, Munich, Germany
1993 The Art Association of Moss, Norway
1992 The Art Association of Trondhjem, Norway
1992 Galleri Gann, Sandnes, Norway
1992 The Art Association of Stavanger, Norway
1991 MONUMENTAL DRAWINGS, ØBK Fredrikstad, Norway
1990 Kunstnerforbundet Gallery, Oslo, Norway
1988 The Drawing Center of Norway, Oslo, Norway
1986 Kunstnerforbundet Gallery, Oslo, Norway
1982 District High-school of Boe, Telemark, Norway
1982 Gallery Habberstad, Oslo, Norway
1982 Gallery LNM, Oslo, Norway
1980 The Art Association of Sandefjord, Norway
1980 The Art Association of Haugesund, Norway
1979 Gallery Horneman, TBK, Trondheim, Norway
1979 The Art Association of Stavanger, Norway
1978 The Art Association of Bergen, Norway
1978 Sandvika Cinema Foyer, Norway
1977 Kunstnerforbundet Gallery, Oslo, Norway
1974 UKS, Young Artists Association, Oslo, Norway
1972 Galleria Paris Bordone, Treviso, Italy
1972 Gallerie Moering, Wiesbaden, Germany
1968 Tecklenburg Festival, Germany
1966 Gabinete Literario de Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, Spain
1964 Palacio Maricel, Sitges, Spain
PARTICIPATION IN COLLECTIVES:
2014 The moving Studio, RAKE, Trondheim
2014 P/ART, Phoenixhalle, Hamburg-Harburg
2013 Collective effort for lost causes, Podium, Oslo
2012 NoPlace gallery, Old Oslo
2012 PRISM, Norwegian Museum of Contemporary Art
2011 Norwegian Sculpture Biennial, Oslo
2011 MOMENTUM 6 Biennial, Moss, Norway
2010 Norwegian Drawing Biennial, Moss, Norway
2009 VALSE WAND at VOORKAMER, Lier, Belgium
2009 TABAKMAGAZIN, Stutensee,Germany
2008 Norwegian Sculpture Biennial, Oslo
2008 GEOMETRY AS IMAGE, Robert Miller Gallery, NYC
2008 Norwegian Drawing Biennial, Oslo, Norway
2008 Gallery 0047, Oslo, Norway
2006 20-Years Akershus Artist Center, Lillestrøm, Norway.
2006 5 in DTK-gallery, Haslum, Norway
2004 Spor i strek, SKINN, travelling exhibit, North Norway
2003 SEQUENZ-2, Hoevik Bath, Norway
2002 UFFIZI GALLERIET, Hoevik Bath, Norway
2000 TEGNINGER, Vestfold BK, Haugar Museum, Toensberg, Norway
2000 SEQUENZ-1, Hoevik, Norway
1999 POSTADRESSE AKERSHUS, Artist Center of Akershus, Lillestrøm, Norway
1998 Galleri TAO, inaugurative show Beijing, China
1997 8 FRA AKERSHUS, Pieksämäki, Finland
1996 VOLUPTAS in Slovakia, Povazie Galleri, Zilina
1996 KUNST KAN LØFTE BYGG, Akershus Artist Center , Stroemmen
1995 9TEGNERE, travelling exhibit of drawings, Rogaland BK, Norway
1995 4 FRA AKERSHUS, travelling show with Gunnar Aune, Gunnar Gundersen, Beth Wyller, Norway
1994 DRAWING AS PUBLIC ART, The Drawing Center of Norway, Oslo
1993 Jubilee Show for the Arts-and Crafts School of Oslo
1993 BKiB, The Art Association of Baerum, Norway
1992 LANDSCAPE IN NORWAY TODAY, The Art Association of Oslo
1991 THE LINE IS A POINT IN MOTION, with. Liisa Corral, Milda Graham, Miles McAlinden in Holst Halvorsen’s Kunsthandel, Oslo, Norway
1990 STATUS, The Art Association of Oslo, Norway
1989 IMAGE AND SOUND in collaboration with composer Magne Hegdal, Galleri F-15, Moss, Norway
1989 NORDIC DRAWINGS TRIENNALE, Skellefteaa, Sweden
1989 Galleri 12B, Fredrikstad, Norway
1988 INSTEAD OF MUNCH, Edvard Munch-museum, Oslo, Norway
1988 The National Exhibition for Drawings, Porsgrunn
1988 LNM 20 YEAR, The Art Association of Oslo, Norway
1987 Opening Show at The Art Center of Akershus, Strømmen, Norway
1986 NORWEGIAN ART the LAST 50 YEARS, The Art Association of Oslo, Norway
1986 ABSTRACTION NOW with Jacob Schmidt, Ian Damerell in Ibsen House, Skien, Norway
1986 The Drawing Center of Norway Jubilee Show at Galleri F-15, Moss, London and Edinburgh.
1986 Drawings by: I. Boehn, B. Toennesen, Varvin, Vegar Werner in The Art Associations of Asker-and Sandefjord, and in Gallery 12B, Fredrikstad, Norway
1986 CONTRASTS, The Art Association of Oslo, Norway
1986 ART IN BAERUM, Henie-Onstad Art Center, Norway
1985 EAST-SEA BIENNALE, Rostock, GERMANY
1984 MOLDE JAZZ-Festival Exhibit with Zdenka Rusova and Hedy Lotherington in The Art Association of Molde-and Trondhjem, Norway
1984 The National Show of Drawings, Porsgrunn, Norway
1984 Artists from Baerum in Tavastehus, Finland
1982 DRAWINGS, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
1982 Galleri 12B, Fredrikstad, Norway
1981-82 Nordic Draughtsmen, The Art Associations of Sveaborg, Finland and Oslo, Norway
1981 Drawings in The Art Association of Oslo, also making a wall drawing for Sol LeWitt. Norway
1980 XIX premi de dibuix, Joan Miro Museum, Barcelona, Spain
1978-79 NAVE-Group in Valladolid and Toledo, Spain
1978 ART IN BAERUM, Henie-Onstad Art Center, Norway
1977 DRAWING NOW, Henie-Onstad Art Center, making a large wall drawing for Sol LeWitt. Norway
1975, 76, 79 INTER, Holstebro, Denmark
1975 NAVE-Group at The Art Association of Molde, Norway
1975 Drawing International, Perth, Australia
1974 NAVE-Group at The Art Association of Toensberg, Norway
1973, 74, 76 UKS-Vårutstilling, Tromsø and in the House of Artists, Oslo, Norway
The Regional Official Art Show: 1979, -80, -81,-82, -83, -84, -85, -86, -87, -88, -89, -90, -91, -99
The National Annual Exhibition of the Visual Arts: 1977, -80, -81, -82, -83, -84, -85, -86, -87, -88, -89, -90, -91, -97 (as invited), -98, -99, -2009

OFFICIAL PUBLIC ART:
2011 Loerenskog House of Culture: 7 floors wall painting-drawing and sculpture in welded steel in stair-hall. Norway
2001 Molde Post-terminal: Acylic paintings on walls and several objects in welded steel. Norway
2001 Drammen Police House: Two geometrical objects in welded steel in library. Norway
2000 Nadderud Hall of Sports: Three geometrical objects in welded steel in stair-hall. Norway
1999 Stabekk Cinema: Welded steel sculpture and objects, acrylic paintings on walls in stair-hall. Norway
1997 The NEPA-BUILDING, Beijing. Norway’s official gift to China. Acrylic painting in front-hall and two large wooden bows in auditorium as a comment to the increasing water problem.1993 Samfunnsvitenskapelig Institutt, University of Bergen, Norway. Geometrical objects in welded steel and acrylic paintings in stair-hall.
1993 Skien County Prison, Norway. Lines in the concrete walls of 4 outdoor yards.
1993 FBT, LFK, Kjeller, Norway. Cantine. Acrylic and plywood on wall.
1991 Jessheim Postoffice, Norway. Entrance hall: Acrylic on plywood and silk-screen prints.
1990 Preclinic Institute, Big Auditorium, Gaustad, University of Oslo: Acrylic and reliefs on concrete walls.
1989 Akershus Cultural Center, Stroemmen: Cyclic projections. Norway
1981 Victoria Terrasse 6th floor, The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, Norway: Wall drawings with pencil, acrylics and objects in antechamber. (2009 demolished)
MEMBERSHIP:
Association of Norwegian Visual Artists NBK
BOA Regional Artists Association Oslo og Akershus
Association of Norwegian Sculptors NBF
Association of Norwegian Fine Art Painters LNM
The Drawing Center of Norway TF
REPRESENTED IN:
2013 The National Museum of Arts, Norway
2004 Art Museum of North Norway
2000 Central Hospital, Gaustad, Oslo, Norway
1998 The Collection of The Central Academy of Arts, Beijing.
1972, 98, 99 Baerum Communal Collection, Norway
1976, 82, 91 The Collection of The Arts Council Norway
1977, 82, 88 Oslo Community Art Collection, Norway
1979 South-Troendelag County Art Collection, Norway
1982, 84, 87 Riksgalleriet, Norway
1981, 82 National Museum of Arts, Norway

PRIZES:
1986 3. Prize Illustration for Newspapers, Schibsted-Aftenposten, Norway
1991 Poster for The Drawing Center of Norway Jubilee, Oslo, Norway
1991 Poster for The Foreign Ministry of Norway to the World Exhibition, Sevilla, Spain

LITTERATURE (selected):
1996 ART IN PUBLIC AREAS 1992-95, KJELL VARVIN's PUBLIC ARTWORKS, essay by Arild H. Eriksen. KORO (THE NORWEGIAN FOUNDATION FOR ART IN PUBLIC)

1999 WESTERN SCULPTURE in The 20th Century by Lu Pinchang, (ISBN 7-80580-556-3/J-519 page 56)

2001 TROND BORGEN: DRAWING THE LINE-AND CROSSING IT, TOO essay for catalogue
2010 Billedkunst 7-2010
2010 Norsk Kunstårbok

2014 Norsk Kunstårbok


ECLIPSE
Jeg interesserer meg særlig for å utvikle evnen til romopplevelse. Det gjelder å finne samsvar mellom den egne kropps dimensjoner i et samspill med de gitte omgivelser. Egentlig ikke bare de fysiske proporsjoner, men det gjelder også det mentale behov for å finne sin posisjon i rommet. Man kan tenke seg et nett av linjer og punkter som spenner over enorme avstander og som beskriver de konkrete omgivelser med koordinater som i tredimensjonale kart. Inn i dette nettverk skal man så finne seg til rette og utgjøre en del av det hele. Hvert øyeblikk og hver posisjon er unik, alt foregår i en stadig omskifting, forholdene endrer seg fra sekund til sekund og utgjør momenter i skapelse og forfall, ustanselig og ugjenkallelig. Perspektivene snevres inn til å gjelde den aktuelle posisjon og det aktuelle tidspunkt. All eksistens dreier seg om denne ene tingen, den intense opplevelsen av å være levende tilstede, virksom i et begrenset tidsrom, følelsen av funksjon og deltakelse i en aktualitet. Flyktighet, de skiftende forhold man lever under, overgangene som kommer brått eller gradvis og som alle erfarer mer eller mindre bevisst og intenst.