OLA STAVSENG

THE SCULPTOR OLA STAVSENG HAS STUDIED ART IN NORWAY, SWEDEN AND ITALY, WHERE HE LIVED AND WORKED FROM 1976 TO 1980 AND FROM 1983 TO 1993
SINCE THEN HE HAS LIVED IN NORWAY, IN HIS NATIVE VILLAGE STORDAL, NOT FAR FROM AALESUND.

DURING HIS FIRST YEARS AS AN ART STUDENT HE MOSTLY STUDIED THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MODERNISM ON CONTEMPORARY ART.

LIVING FOR MANY YEARS IN ROME AND TUSCANY, HE ACQUAINTED HIMSELF WITH GREEK AND ITALIAN ART TRADITIONS THROUGH FREQUENT VISITS TO CHURCHES AND ART MUSEUMS.
HE WAS THUS ABLE TO STUDY MORE CLOSELY MASTERPIECES FROM GREAT RENAISSANCE ARTISTS SUCH AS MICHELANGELO AND DONATELLO.

HERE HE ALSO ACQUIRED A LOT OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE FROM THE STRONG TRADITION OF SCULPTURAL CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT IS STILL ALIVE, FOR INSTANCE IN THE VAST NUMBERS OF BRONZE FOUNDRIES AND MARBLE STUDIOS IN CARRARA AND PIETRASANTA, SMALL TOWNS IN VERSILIA, NOT FAR FROM FLORENCE.

AFTER A TWO YEAR ATTENDANCE AT THE SCUOLA DEL MARMO IN CARRARA, AN ADDITIONAL STAY IN THE PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIST COMMUNITIES BOTH HERE AND IN PETRASANTA ALSO PROVED RICHLY REWARDING.  IN THE BRONZE FOUNDRY TOMMASI OLA STAVSENG GAINED EXTREMELY VALUABLE WORK PRACTICE THANKS TO THE BENEVOLENCE OF FOUNDRY MASTER MASSIMO DEL CHIARO. PRACTICAL WORK AT FOUNDRIES LIKE VERSILIESE AND MARIANI ALSO ADDED VALUABLE EXPERIENCES. IN THE MARBLE STUDIOS OF BOTH JACOPO AND RICARDO GIANNONI AND THE PASQUINI BROTHERS, ENZO AND PASQUINO, OLA STAVSENG GAINED A VALUABLE UNDERSTANDING IN THE ART OF MAKING MARBLE SCULPTURES.

OLA STAVSENG WORKS IN A CLASSICAL FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE OF SCULPTURAL FORM, IN TRADITIONAL MATERIALS SUCH AS CLAY, PLASTER, WOOD, TERRACOTTA, BRONZE, GRANITE AND MARBLE.
AS AN PROFESSIONAL ARTIST HIS PLACE IS BOTH IN THE TRADITION OF INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN AS WELL AS NORWEGIAN ART.

SINCE 1974 HE HAS ALSO INTERMITTENTLY BEEN TEACHING THE ART OF SCULPTURE AND DRAWING AT UNIVERSITIES, SCHOOLS OF ART AND CRAFT AND IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

OLA STAVSENG MAKES DIFFERENT KINDS OF SCULPTURAL WORKS, SUCH AS BIG MONUMENTS, SMALL STATUETTES, PORTRAITS ETC., AS COMMISSIONS OR FREE WORKS, EXECUTED AS THREE - D SCULPTURES OR LOW RELIEFS.
SINCE 1970 HIS WORKS HAVE BEEN PRESENTED IN EXHIBITIONS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND ARE TO BE FOUND IN SEVERAL PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS OF ART IN NORWAY AND ABROAD.