Elena  Abessinova

With her background as an illustrator of books and ads, it is drawing that Elena Abessinova excels at. She also works within painting and print, but with an illustrational style. Her works are detailed and ornamental, with subject matter that spans from historic events to studies of food and flowers. At the exhibition we are showing two of her historical paintings, a genre that is not all that common among contemporary artists. One work draws on the history of Abessinova’s city of residence, Kongsvinger, and incorporates elements from Norse and Christian mythology. The second work is about Elisiv, also known as Elisaveta, the wife of the Norwegian Viking prince (and later king) Harald Sigurdsson. Born in Kiev, Elisiv was the daughter of Grand Prince Yaroslav, meaning that Harald married a wealthy bride after fleeing Norway in 1030 following the Battle of Stiklestad. Elisiv’s place between two cultures can thereby be seen as a parallel to the artist’s own personal history. At the same time, Abessinova works in the same vein as other historical painters when she tells and interprets stories through artistic means. GH