Levi Van Veluw is a young artist from Norway. A recent graduate of the Artez Art School he has managed to notch up an impressive portfolio of commisioned work in a very short period of time. With work showcased across Europe and several showings in the States, plus several awards under his belt including the IPA Photographer of the Year award Levi is definitely going places. We had a chat with the artist about his latest Landscape exhibition at the Ronmandos gallery in Amsterdam.

Hello Levi, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Well my name is Levi Van Veluw and I was born in the Netherlands in a small town named Hoevelaken, 19-04-85. I graduated In 2007. I graduated cum laude from Artez’ School of Arts. I started out mainly wanting to be a painter but during my time studying I started experimenting with other mediums such as video art and photography.

Landscape I

How long have you been working on this particular project for?

The oldest work you can see in the gallery and on my website is from 2005, I started doing this sort of thing around then.

Landscape II

Doesn't covering yourself in glue and the sorts of materials designed to be used with paper and plastics affect your skin negatively?

It does hurt sometimes. I have to create these works very quickly within a day. I cannot worry about things like pain or the occasional rash. For me these kinds of effects are irrelevant. The work is not about humanity or the person itself. If it hurts or not, it doesn't make the work more or less interesting.

Landscape III

This is an amazing concept, how did you come up with it?

I don't work as a photographer, the work is a result of conceptual philosophy about people and the relationships they have with the elements around them. It is not just about putting a sculpture on my head, you have to get past that idea and look at the conflicts between the differing elements and the associations they are given. You don't just come up with a concept, it slowly takes its shape during long periods of thinking and experimenting with ideas.

Landscape IV

Do you have any other projects coming up anytime soon?

I have just had a solo exhibition at Ronmandos gallery in Amsterdam. The work is now going to Artfairs such as Next in Chicago, Art Amsterdam and FIAC in Paris. For me it is important to take some rest and collect enough input to create new and better work. In my future work I want to create more videos and sculptures combined with photography.

You can keep up to date with Levi's projects at www.levivanveluw.com.