Svein Koningen

Biography

Koningen was born to a Norwegian mother and Dutch father during the war whilst his father was stationed in Oslo, working with the Dutch underground. Koningen spent his early childhood in Amsterdam where his introduction to art began with visits to see the Dutch masters at the Rijksmuseum. Koningen's parents moved to Australia in the late 1950s where he excelled at swimming. He studied art and industrial design at the Geelong's Gordon Institute of Technology. Koningen has lived in Norway, Netherlands, Australia, Dutch Antibes, France, UK, moving his studio from Noosa Heads, Australia to Brugge Belgium in 2005 until the end of 2016. He has now relocated back to Australia.

Works

Koningen's work is abstract expressionist. The artist's inspiration comes through the process of painting his large canvases. Music plays an important role in the painting process transporting emotion into rhythm. Russu, Petru (October 2003), "Art in Australia" (PDF), World of Art, Sweden: 24 

"I'm not afraid to explore and experiment with different tools to create texture on my canvas. I love the excitement of sweeping back thickly layered fresh paint and cutting into previous layers to reveal an extraordinary montage of fleeting colours, as though looking into the secret soul of the painting. While I may begin a painting with a vision of a certain colour or a specific theme, I never really know exactly what form the finished painting will take. I simply allow my instinct to guide my hands and draw inspiration from the creative process. My passions, the place I live in, the surrounding environment and my music are all external factors that influence my work."

Koningen, Svein. "About Koningen". Retrieved 2007-09-20.