About Jan Baker

Jan Baker. A Norwegian artist, recognised both nationally and internationally.

Also known as “The Golden Boy”. He received the King’s Medal of Merit in Goldin 2005 for his influential contribution to art and culture. Jan Baker’s artistic legacy endures through time and is reflected in all of his works.

Background

Jan Baker’s studio in Norway is not merely a place where art is created, it is a reflection of the artist himself. It is a space where the visual, the surreal, and the political blend into a vivid and captivating expression. It is a sanctuary where past and present are interwoven into every piece, carrying Norway’s rich artistic heritage into the future. Baker produces his works in his own studio – painted, drawn, printed and often hand-colours his prints. Both special editions and hand-coloured pieces exist only in very limited numbers.

Surrealism

Many of his works invite the viewer deeper into Baker’s imaginative labyrinth.His art challenges convention. It provokes questions and guides us through the unknown and the subconscious, where the familiar rules of the physical world no longer apply and the mind is free to explore what lies beyond the ordinary.

Artistic Techniques

Drawing

Baker has drawn throughout his entire life, also after turning 80. His drawings allow you to experience the purity of the artist’s hand at work, through some of the finest pencil strokes , authentic and unfiltered.

Etching

We are proud to present etchings where the motif was first drawn, then transferred by drypoint to zinc plates. Each plate was inked and printed individually using a traditional etching press. PaintingsExperience the vibrancy of his colourful surrealist paintings, where satire, politics, music, and mysticism converge to bring each story to life. These works invite the viewer into scenes that engage both imagination and emotion.

Silkscreen (Serigraphy)

In later years, Baker began working with silkscreen printing and developed a distinctive technique: embossing gold, silver, and other metals into the paper before applying up to 18 layers of colour.These embossed works create a contemporary and striking visual language, bold colours, metallic textures, and unmistakable originality.

Material Art

This technique combines three-dimensional materials with two-dimensional surfaces. Using marble, zinc, brass, smalto (Italian glass), wood, and steel, Baker creates works with unique texture, depth, and tactile presence. These pieces challenge traditional art forms and offer a powerful sensory experience.

D.G.A. (Digital Graphic Artwork)

In 2023, Baker began working with D.G.A. a method combining analogue and digital processes.The artwork begins on paper, canvas, or another physical medium and is then captured in high resolution. The digital file is then refined, recoloured, and developed until the desired expression emerges.A test print follows, and only once Baker is satisfied does full production begin.This technique provides extraordinary control over colour clarity, depth, and consistency, allowing for prints of high durability and precision while maintaining the integrity of the original artistic vision.

Diploma in Entrevaux, France

Honour Medal, Frechen, Germany

Rotary Gold Honour Medal

King’s Medal of Merit in Gold

Jan Baker

VISUAL ARTIST

Born in Stange, Norway – 23 December 1939



EDUCATION

The National College of Art and Design (Statens Håndverks- og Kunstindustriskole), 1955–57

The National Academy of Fine Arts (Statens Kunstakademi),

1965–70Study period in Paris,

1968 GRANTS / SCHOLARSHIPS 3% Fund Grant

1969 The Norwegian Government 3-Year Working Grant

1971–73 and 1973–76 Debuted at the Autumn Exhibition (Høstutstillingen) in 1967.

He gained significant artistic influence through his collaboration with Sigurd Winge, yet early on demonstrated originality and a strong desire to explore new artistic directions. Since his debut, Jan Baker’s art has captured the attention of audiences across Europe, America, and Asia.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS (selection)

The National Gallery, Oslo

The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo

The City of Oslo Art Collection

The Norwegian Arts Council

Trondheim Art Museum

Bergen Art Museum

Stavanger Permanent Gallery

Hamar Art Society

The Swedish State Art Council, Stockholm

Stockholm County Council

Ministry of Culture Bonn, Germany

The National Art Museum of China Beijing

As well as numerous other public and private collections in Norway and abroad.

ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT

Through experimentation with gold and silver foils, Baker developed his own embossing technique — a process using heavy pressure and high heat to achieve a distinctive visual impact. Within this special field of metal graphics, he is considered an innovator in Norwegian graphic art. His works often contain imaginative, surreal, and humorous elements, expressed in vivid colour and his characteristic embossing technique. He is also known for his material-based artworks using marble, brass, zinc, steel and wood, as well as for oil paintings, drawings, serigraphs, and etchings. Baker’s colourful surrealist imagery — where irony, humour, politics, and narrative symbolism intertwine — has made him one of Norway’s most recognised and best-selling contemporary artists. He invites the viewer to step into the artwork and imagine their own continuation of the story.

D.G.A. (Digital Graphic Artwork)

In 2022, Baker began producing D.G.A. works.

Each image is tied to an original artwork (painting, drawing, etc.), which is then photographed and digitised at high resolution. The digital file is then refined, adjusted in colour and scale, and test-printed. Final prints are produced in the artist’s own studio, allowing Baker complete control over the finished result — clarity, colour strength, and composition.

BIENNIALS & INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS (selection)

Bonn, Florence, Stockholm, New York, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Venice, Ljubljana, Reykjavik, Moscow, Zagreb, Paris, Krakow, and others.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS (abbreviated list)

Kunstnerforbundet (Oslo), 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1982, 1990
Hamar Art Society, 1970, 1994
Trondheim Art Association, 1971
Galleri 1, Bergen, 1973, 1991
Galleri Linssen, Bonn, 1974
Galleri Vikerødegården, 1975, 1992
Galleri F 15, Moss, 1978
Galleri Cassandra, Drøbak, 1979, 1985, 1994

Galleri Parken, Bergen, 1985, 1997
Stavanger Art Society, 1987
Sandnes Art Society, 1990

Soli Brug, Sarpsborg, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2015, 2019, 2023
Beijing Art Academy, 2006Cube8, Fredrikstad, 2024
Filtvet Lighthouse, 2025
and many others.