Lena Trydal
(b. 1994, Kristiansand, Norway)
Currently living and working in Oslo, Norway
lenatrydal.com / @lenatrydal
When were you at Metàfora and for how long?
Spring semester 2014 and spring semester 2015.
What did you enjoy most about the course?
My fellow students were of all ages from all over the world, which I find unique. We could pick and choose among the many exciting classes – from more traditional still life drawing classes to performance walking-tours and graffiti classes! – and work in the studios pretty much as we wanted. Some evenings we drank wine in the beautiful yard and made collaborative work. I felt so free! I also found the tutors very professional, with a good variety of expertise.
What were you looking for in a studio arts program at that time?
I considered several foundation programs in Fine Art around the world at the time, but I was attracted to Metafora because of its international profile and its variety of classes. And finally, it is in Barcelona! I do not regret for a second.
What have you been up to since then?
After attending Metafora I was admitted to the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, Netherlands, but the longing for Barcelona was too great, so after 9 months I came back and attended Metafora for another two months. Later I established myself in Oslo where I have completed a BA in aesthetic theory and art history, worked at several art institutions, as an art critic and as an editor of a national art magazine.
I am now mainly working as a practicing artist, making figurative paintings with a satirical undertone. Over the past years I have exhibited at Den Frie Udstilling in Copenhagen, Arteriet in Kristiansand and Roodkapje Rot(t)terdam in Rotterdam, and I will participate in the opening exhibition of the new National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Norway, opening on June 11th, 2022.
How do you describe your art practice at the moment?
I work with figurative paintings based on current socio-political issues in the world. With a satirical undertone, I set up encounters between iconic figures or objects, political symbols and art history in what may be considered painted collages. I associate myself with pop art and satire, and I intentionally use kitsch, pop cultural and art historical references as a (self) reflection on the status of figurative art.
Lena’s advice to future students:
… Sign up to a lot of different classes!
Attending Metàfora is a great opportunity to try out new mediums under the advisory of professional tutors. Maybe you will end up doing something completely different when you leave Metafora.
