Martin Whatson - Profile image

Martin Whatson

Graffiti

November 21, 2014

Throughout his career, Norwegian artist Martin Whatson has found beauty in places conventionally thought of as ugly. Best known for his stencil work, prints, sculptures, murals and paintings, which he has been doing since 2004, the artist finds inspiration in old buildings, people, city landscapes, decaying walls, posters and graffiti. His artworks feature animals, famous historical figures, dancers, and abstract graffiti. Over the years, Martin Whatson has exhibited in numerous cities around the world, including Berlin, Tokyo, London, Paris, Oslo, and New York. Besides mural commissions, the artist has collaborated with several notable fashion brands.

Graffiti and Stencil Work

Martin Whatson was born in 1984 in Norway. He joined the local graffiti scene in Oslo and was active throughout the 1990s. However, they had a lot of trouble with the officials as they did not understand or approve of the art. Like all kids, that did not stop them from leaving their mark all over the streets. Whatson graduated from the Westerdals School of Communication with a degree in Art and Graphic Design. Still, once he saw the work by Banksy, he immediately fell in love with stencils. Since 2004 he has been creating art in his signature style that has garnered the attention of the audience and critics alike. In his work, he combines the two mediums perfectly, as is seen in his stencil grey monochromatic images decorated with vibrant coloured graffiti. Whatson draws inspiration from such great masters as Cy Twombly and the brilliant Jose Parla.

Colourful Street Art

Following the trend that swept the globe, Martin Whatson slowly adopted his work to be shown in gallery spaces. He has worked on paper and canvas as much as on the walls outside. Interested in finding beauty in all things, especially ugly places, his subjects are often largely overlooked by society. Through his powerful, colourful images, he draws our attention to them. The artist first creates the base of his artwork in black and white, constructed of a few layers of hand-cut stencils, and then adds vibrant colours. He is inspired by everything that surrounds him, or he comes across, from architecture, patterns, and landscapes, to people. Once he finds his main interest, he decides if he will create order or chaos. Whatson enjoys collaborating with street artists and has worked with Snik, Roamcouch, and Pure Evil. His prints are usually immediately sold, with just a few copies remaining.

Martin Whatson’s Exhibitions

Throughout his career, the artist has participated in numerous group shows, including Atomic Number 13 (Part 2) and Atomic Number 13 (2022) at Vertical Gallery in Chicago, I Only Have To Land It Once Black (2021) at Book Gallery in Colorado, Pez: 22 Years Smiling with Friends (2021) at StolenSpace Gallery in London, and Upside Down (2021) at Kirk Gallery in Denmark. In 2022 he participated in Urvanity Art in Madrid, Spain and District 13 Art Fair in Paris.

Martin Whatson lives and works in Oslo.

Featured image: Martin Whatson. Copyright of the artist 

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