Art for me is, besides being a very rewarding and therapeutic form of escapism, a window into a different world. I hope my art and photography may take you there!

 

My roots are in the Himalayan valleys of Bhutan, the land of the peaceful thunder dragon. There, 2500 metres above sea level, I grew up amid the peaks that make up the roof of the world. I was surrounded by my parents' architects tools, the holy aesthetics of Tibetan Buddhism, the beauty of raw and wild nature, and one of the most friendly peoples you could ever meet. My family departed Bhutan when I was eight years old to return to Norway, where I have been primarily based since.

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Being a perfectionist, I often struggled with lifelike classical drawing and painting, and never truly enjoyed working with art in such a way. Therefore my process is much more a stream of consciousness than a deliberate and planned venture, although often careful exercises in patience and accuracy. I begin most projects with quick small experiments that grow organically into what you see. Amalgamations of symbols, patterns, and ideas that emerge instinctively and spontaneously. In addition to working on new material, I have hundreds of ink and paper drawings from the past many years that I am reworking digitally to increase their potential size and their level of detail. I spend a very long time reworking each drawing, which is why there are considerably fewer of them published.

 

My mirrored photography is simpler in execution, and I find myself taken aback and fascinated by the universe of patterns and creatures that can appear seemingly out of nowhere. I take photos of all kinds of things when I'm out and about, and through a lot of work they evolve into the wide array of curious patterns, textures, creatures and landscapes you see. These further inspire my drawn art.

Cheers, and thank you for your support!

Lucian Arkhain

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