Kjell Erik Killi-Olsen

Kjell Erik Killi-Olsen began his education at Trondheim Art Academy in 1973, initially intending to work in theater, with scenography as his main interest. This led him to Academia Sztuck Pieknych in Kraków in 1978, a city where strong art traditions thrived and the avant-garde flourished, with internationally known directors such as Tadeusz Kantor and Andrzej Wajda working there. The role-playing and theatrical characteristics would later have a significant impact on Killi-Olsen's imagery, both in his sculptures and on canvas.

After his time in Poland, the artist enrolled in The Norwegian National Academy of Arts in 1979 in Oslo under professor and artist Knut Rose but quickly diverted to a more experimental approach and switched to classes taught by Ludvig Eikaas. After his first year at the academy, Killi-Olsen, along with his colleagues Olav Christopher Jenssen and Therese Nordtvedt, left to join the Arts Students League in New York. This marked the beginning of four years in the artistic hub of the East Village, NYC.

The 1980s was a defining period in Killi-Olsen's life that shaped his characteristic expression and led to his national and international breakthrough. The artistic era of the 1980s was largely characterized by a maximalist approach, including 'bad painting,' graffiti, and kitsch. It was in this environment that Killi-Olsen began creating a combination of painting and relief, resulting in works such as 'Paals Reise' (1983) and 'Bronx' (1981), which are significant in the artist’s oeuvre.

In 1986, Killi-Olsen held a solo exhibition at Galeria Salvatore Ala (Milan, Italy), showcasing his current form of characteristic sculptures, which later contributed to his exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia that same year. Subsequently, Killi-Olsen created one of the most iconic artworks in Norwegian art history, 'Salamandernatten,' which represented Norway at the Biennale in Sao Paulo in 1989. 'Salamandernatten' comprised 78 sculptures, an installation of fiberglass and paper-mâché elements with strong symbolic content; the salamander symbolizes evil in Brazilian culture due to its ability to regenerate limbs and body parts after amputation. The main sculpture in the installation depicts a woman breastfeeding a salamander, symbolizing the neutering of evil and depicted as a humanoid, grotesque, sexual, and humorous figure of fantasy.

In 1995, Killi-Olsen was Bergen Kunstforening’s selected participant for the yearly exhibition at the Bergen International Festival. The expression of the exhibition transformed from applying many layers of paint and relief-like surfaces to a toned-down color scheme with faded lines. Here he presented one of his most central works from this period, 'Veien har ingen ende,' demonstrating a matured style within Killi-Olsen's production.

In 1994, Killi-Olsen made his mark as one of Norway’s greatest sculptors with his extraordinary contribution to Artscape Nordland, an international collection of site-specific art in Norway, with the 430 cm tall sculpture 'Mannen fra havet.' The sculpture, created in cast iron and crystal, was erected in Bø in Vesterålen. In 2016, Killi-Olsen revealed a new site-specific project of similar scale titled 'Kvinnen som søker vinden' at Schage Eiendom's new construction 'Quadrum Business City' in Vilnius, Lithuania. Like 'Mannen fra havet,' the outdoor sculpture is vast and tall, reflecting and paying tribute to its surroundings.

Kjell Erik Killi-Olsen is known for his characteristic style of painting and sculpture, holding an important position in Norwegian art history and on the Norwegian contemporary art scene. In 1998, Killi-Olsen exhibited at Galleri F15 before his large solo exhibition 'Det var en gang' at Lillehammer Kunstmuseum in 2001. In later years, he exhibited at various national and international galleries and museums. From 2005 to 2007, the exhibition 'Begynnelsen' was shown at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Trondheim Kunstmuseum, and Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum in Norway. In 2017, he held the critically acclaimed solo exhibitions 'Den lange reisen' at Galleri Brandstrup and 'Killi-Olsen: skulpturer' at Dronning Sonjas Kunsthall in 2018. In 2019, he was honored to be the yearly exhibitor at the Peer Gynt Spelet.

After years of residing in France, Killi-Olsen now lives and works in Trondheim, his birthplace. He recently initiated K.U.K. (Kjøpmannsgata Ung Kunst), an art center for young unestablished artists.