Eirik Lyster
"Since forever I`ve had this deep urge to live and die in my own dreams, rather to be dead in someone else's reality."
Eirik Lyster
Visual Artist
City of residence, OSLO, NORWAY
Q & A:
COL: How old are you and where are you from?
EL: I'm 32 years old and I´m from Stavanger (west coast of Norway).
COL: What do you do?
EL: I'm a visual artist and I work with drawing, sculpture and performance.
COL: How long have you been doing it?
EL: I have felt like an artist my whole life and I actually can't remember a time without drawing, but I had my debut solo exhibition called "In Magic" in 2009. I remember I felt like had arrived in a way and people could now see how I have been feeling my whole life. I was always searching for a life in art and I created something for myself that was much more dreamy and glamorous that the city I'm from could offer me.
COL: What inspired you to pursue a career in art?
EL: Since forever I've had this deep urge to live and die in my own dreams, rather to be dead in someone else's reality.
COL: Do you remember your first work of art?
EL: I don't remember my first work of art but i remember I had an exhibition when I was about 9 years old in a childhood friend of mines garage where we invited our parents and friends. I've always been a combination of being introvert and extrovert.
COL: If you could have any piece of art in history, what would you choose?
EL: A sculpture by Salvador Dali titled "The Royal Heart". It's so beautiful how the diamonds are beating just like heartbeats.
COL: What is your relationship with fashion?
EL: I don't care about fashion or follow trends but I really have a passionate interest in design, style and clothing. So clothing and style means a lot to me and I always dress the way I feel and it is like a second skin in a way. Style for me is also a freedom to be what you are and I always like to recognise myself in the mirror. When I was younger it also was a way for me to unconsciously dress as the pop star I felt like and take a tiny part of pop culture in to my own life long before I was a part of it myself. I have a wardrobe and it contains a lot of good clothes. Anything from a basic white t-shirt, a collar made of wigs, faux fur coats and to pearl crowns. Sometimes people say to me when they see me wearing something more toned down: "Where are all the glitter today?", like it is something I have to wear and maintain. I never feel I have to wear anything because there is a big difference of being yourself and being the idea of yourself. I am fully aware of what that idea would have been. And I don't have to be an idea of Eirik Lyster because "I am" and "To be" is very important to me.
COL: What is the best and worst thing about being an artist?
EL: The best thing is that you get to share your art with the world and to see your dreams become reality. And worst thing is that I can feel very isolated sometimes. But there is price to pay for living in your dreams so you have to accept all of it. The highs are very high and the lows are very low, and if you're only in it for the highs you can forget it. It's hard work, blood, glitter and tears. If it was always a easy thing everyone would do it and not everyone can do it or handle this road. Only my closest friends knows this but in 2013 I ate what’s inside of a tea bag because I didn't have any money for food. But it is in dark moments like that I'm reminded that I'm pretty hardcore and it's good to be reminded of what you're made of.
COL: What can we expect to see at this year’s festival?
EL: I will be having a art performance. That's all I will reveal for now. But, trust me you don't want to miss it.
COL: How important is the ability to expose your art to you and your creative field?
EL: It is important to get a message out but at the same time the work is the most important thing to me so I've found a balance. I have instagram (@eirik_lyster) for example as a channel and a tool to communicate with the world. It's important to me where I put my mind and thoughts and I'm not wasting it.
