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Håkon Bleken (1929–2025) was one of Norway’s most prominent visual artists. In Håkon Bleken’s Religious Art, the entire museum is filled with his works. The exhibition presents preliminary works for stained-glass windows and altarpieces that unite the personal and the universal in a powerful visual language. Bleken’s art is characterized by dramatic colors and expressive figures set against a deeply humanistic foundation.
Bleken introduced new motifs into the biblical narratives: the machine gun, the film reel, the drug addict, and the iconic photograph of a Jewish boy in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. By allowing contemporary images to enter the church space, Bleken created an expression that both challenged and renewed tradition.
Håkon Bleken’s Religious Art invites reflection on faith, doubt, and humanity’s place in the world.
On view from Saturday November 29 until after Easter 2026.
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Håkon Bleken is regarded as one of Norway’s foremost modernist painters. He was born in Trondheim and lived and worked here throughout his life. His artistic practice encompassed a wide range of techniques, including painting, printmaking, drawing, and collage. His breakthrough was marked by a series of charcoal drawings titled Fragments of a Dictatorship, in 1971.
Bleken described himself as a literary painter. As a person, he was devoted to his city, and deeply engaged in city development and social politics. Human suffering and social activism are recurring themes in his work, often rooted in literature and poetry. Art and desire, life and death, vulnerability and confrontation, sorrow and outrage are consistent elements in his oeuvre.
In his artistic expression there is a dynamic between the abstract and the figurative, allowing rich interpretation. He wove together contemporary topics with literature and biblical narratives. In doing so, he emphasized some of the eternal and universal aspects of human nature – our instincts, inner struggles, and deeds.
Bleken's artistic significance is national. With a sharp eye on his own era, and a genuine curiosity about art, Bleken developed his artistic practice across different genres. Through social engagement, his art is a part of Trondheim's identity.