VOLKVARD
Volkvard find great liberation in the realization that the experience of art is strictly personal and cannot be reduced to shared rules or universal aesthetics. Since he can only vaguely guess what his viewers experience, he grants himself full freedom to paint according to his own passions—even when the source of those passions remains unknown to him.
“The value of an artwork is created in the viewer’s mind only.” Volkvard believes that emotionally engaging art reflects back our personal learnings. We begin to discover this when we show genuine humility and curiosity about how others experience art. His hope is to inspire viewers to refrain from judging others' emotional responses, and instead cultivate an openness to the richness of diverse emotional lives.
Jørgen Folkersen, also known as Volkvard, began his journey as a visual artist more than 30 years ago, following a childhood and youth filled with drawing and creative exploration. It took approximately a decade before he felt ready to exhibit his work publicly.
Over the next two decades, he exhibited primarily within Denmark, showcasing his paintings in regional settings and company-based private art associations.
At the age of 63, he chose early retirement in order to fully dedicate himself to his passion for the visual arts. This marked a turning point, as he began to reach out to a broader, more internationally oriented audience.
Volkvard adopted an experimental approach early in his career, rarely repeating the same motif. His creative inspiration arises from the complexity of the human emotional universe, particularly social emotions.
His previous work in trauma-focused therapy deeply influenced his artistic perspective. He became fascinated by how individuals can experience the same social situations—and the same artwork—in radically different ways. To him, visual art seems to access our social learnings directly, even those we are not consciously aware of. This explains why different people can encounter the same painting and leave with entirely different impressions.
Devotional love, 2025, Acryl on canvas, 90x77cm
Baby feets 2022, Acryl on canvas,120x90cm
Can-can 1995, Acryl on canvas,120x90cm
Boy in the blue room 1996, Acryl on canvas,120x90cm
Funnel of death 2020, Acryl on canvas, 90x77cm
Tango child 2020, Acryl on canvas,120x120cm
In the wind 2024, Acryl on canvas,120x90cm
Contemplation 2021, Acryl on canvas,120x90cm
Sitting woman 2000, Acryl on canvas,120x90cm
Hilarious 2025, Acryl on canvas, 90x77cm
