The exhibition presents the breadth of a rich artistic practice and highlights painting, drawing, sculpture, illustration, and scenography. At the same time, it revisits the oeuvre with a fresh perspective, emphasizing the social and historical contexts that shaped Fjell’s work.

Kai Fjell was at the height of his career as an artist in the 1930s and 1940s, a time when art often became political and reflected the unrest of society. After his debut at the Oslo Art Association in 1932, he painted somber works with strong social engagement, using motifs that commented on challenges within society. During the war he continued to work despite shortages and restrictions, creating many of his most compelling works in the decades surrounding the Second World War. Inspired by international modernists as well as Norwegian folk art, Kai Fjell worked across far more media and fields than has previously been emphasized.

The exhibition at Henie Onstad ranges from his well-known depictions of women and “mother and child” motifs to Fjell’s innovative scenography for the National Theatre and art projects in public spaces such as Bakkehaugen Church, Fornebu Airport, and the High-Rise building in the Government Quarter. The exhibition is curated by Kathrine Lund and Martine Hoff Jensen.