As part of focus26, one of the first presentations features five large-scale black oil paintings by Nils Erik Gjerdevik. The works exemplify Gjerdevik’s distinctive approach to black as both surface and depth, unfolding through a precise interaction between a carefully applied black top layer and luminous colours beneath. Lines, patterns, and light gradually emerge, activating a perceptual tension between opacity and revelation. Shown in dialogue with the comprehensive solo exhibition currently on view at CLAY, the paintings underline the sustained relevance of Gjerdevik’s painterly investigations.
Nils Erik Gjerdevik (1962–2016) worked across painting, drawing, sculpture, and ceramics, consistently probing the conditions and possibilities of abstraction. His practice was rooted in a close dialogue with art history, drawing on constructivist structures, ornamental rhythms, and modernist grids, while simultaneously testing and revising these traditions. Across media, Gjerdevik balanced rigorous planning with spontaneity, humour with seriousness, and precision with openness, producing a body of work that continues to resonate with contemporary questions of form, space, and perception.
