Reinar Foreman: The Figurative Abstractionist

In Conversation with Ranjan Kaul

Reinar A Foreman, born in 1993, is a self-taught artist from Iceland who began to define himself as such at the age of 22. After a trip to South America, he painted his first portrait, which was quickly sold. Thanks to this first sale, he could invest in canvases and materials to launch his painting career. After having been exhibited in several galleries in Europe - Reykjavik (2015), Hafnarfjoerdur (2016, 2017, 2023), Berlin (2019, 2020), Moscow (2020), Paris (2024), Delhi (2025), Foreman is establishing his presence internationally. His works are in private collections.

Ranjan Kaul: At the young age of 32, you’ve been able to define yourself in the art world. Please give a brief account of your journey as an artist. Any role models or mentors? How challenging has it been for you to emerge as an artist with a distinct visual language?

Reinar Foreman:  I dropped out of school when I was 17, never thinking that art was a realistic path for me. At the age of 22 my greatest inspiration and mentor, my grandfather, urged me to pursue art, so I decided I would take a shot at it. My thought was simply to paint for myself and perhaps paint something that I wanted but wasn't seen in galleries. After two years of unexpected success, I was invited to show in a lovely little restaurant in Berlin that was exhibiting young unknown artists (2017). It wasn't long until I was offered a solo show Blurr at the 7star Gallery (2019), also in Berlin. It was at that show that I met Olga Lystsova. She showed interest in working with me and soon after I was offered to exhibit a solo show Monstera in Gallery Fine Art, Moscow (2020). But Covid stopped the show two days later and then the war put an end to it permanently.

But I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in a group show in ForA Gallery, Berlin, later that year. Once Covid regulations died down, I was able to survive on a few independent/private viewing shows. In 2024 I was offered a solo show at Gallery de Buci. And I participated in a group show at the same gallery a year later.

Being an outsider has as many obstacles as it has benefits. It's hard to be taken seriously by those who demand degrees and I have no skill in applying for assistance through grants. But my ignorance has led me to techniques and approach that I can call my own.

RK:  What prompted you to look at India for an independent solo show? What was the idea behind it? Also, what was the thought behind the title? In your disclaimer you say that you see the mythological figure of Shani as an inevitable harbinger of change. In a world ridden with conflicts, wars, and social injustice, there is a message of hope here. What gives you this optimism?

RF: After holding exhibitions in cities that I always dreamed of showing in, I had a rare opportunity to take a risk on something exotic and India was something Olga and I found very exciting. 

The idea for the show, for me, came down to what my perspective was on India as an outsider looking in and perhaps offering some perspective from an artist who isn't influenced by the culture and history.

It took a while to find the right venue and I'll admit I was starting to lose hope until we found Urban Fringe - the underground studio.

The title I wanted was Shani's Turner or Shani's Temeraire because my entire viewpoint and inspiration regarding India can be found in this one painting by William Turner The Fighting Temeraire. However, it was deemed "too complicated" and considered alienating, so Shani's Chariot was eventually chosen.

My optimistic view on India stems from my own country’s history and the endless potential I see in India's untapped resources, and every country's greatest resource is its people. Wars, conflict and injustice are, regrettably, a part of the human condition, however, as war becomes more technological and economical I feel that India has so much room to grow. India is a nation of mathematics and chess, art, literature and supernatural architecture bound by a rich and deep history, but seems to be riddled with self-doubt. All India needs is a little spark, perhaps the spark has already ignited but the fire isn't visible . . . yet.

RK: The parallels to Shani in Greek and Roman mythology are Cronus and Saturn. However, while Shani is seen as the dispenser of justice based on one’s deeds (Karma), Saturn on the other hand is seen as the god of Time; his mythological reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace. Is this how you reconcile the two parallels: going back in time (riding Shani’s chariot) and hoping for change in the future where there is greater justice and peace? How would you respond if one were to interpret your work that is an abstraction depiction of Shani’s chariot (image below) as this duality: the chariot hurtling down against the swift passage of time?

RF: Well, in many circles it is thought that Cronus doesn't demand love or respect; he only asks for obedience. As the god of time he demands that you be on time. The chariot was the ultimate symbol of war tech during it's time but chariots have become obsolete, so I chose to depict his chariot as a sewing machine because modern wars are fought silently through economics and industry. Conveniently, India's second largest export is textiles, so it has many different meanings. But I do believe that the West has lost its way and clings to an outdated form of thinking. And I feel that India has paid dearly through the centuries but now Europe's karma is coming back to haunt them and I feel that India has a right to enjoy its place on the world stage.

RK: Let’s shift the focus to your works in the current show. The best way I can describe your style and approach is figurative abstraction though this definition by itself is incomplete: Your works are equally expressionistic and conceptual at the same time. What I find particularly appealing is the spontaneity and dynamism in the works, against static geometric backdrops, which accentuates the movement in them. I refer particularly to the larger ones (images below). Can you say something about the process of their creation? How much have you visualized the image when you approach the canvas, and how much happens while you are working on them?

RF: I like to use references for my paintings so there's always a starting point and perhaps I'll have a dominant colour I would like to explore. My usual obstacle is fighting the urge to overwork or succumbing to realism because I want my paintings to express movement and energy. I have to get into the mindset of "it doesn't matter, it's just a canvas" to be able to let my subconscious take over, the work unfolds from there. The final stages are usually spent trying to tame the picture, carving in away with solid blocks of colour followed by detailing where it's seems too flat. There are countless stages of doubt, regret and changes, big and small. The hardest part is to know when to stop, I'm still working on that.

RK:  I found the two complimentary works (images below) each of which have a figure carrying a trident (Trishul), quite intriguing in that they display an aggressive stance. What were you thinking when you created them?

RF: In this case I simply love the image of a trident and it was what pulled me toward Shani as a symbol.

RK: Somewhere in the catalogue is the mention of Francis Bacon as one of your influences. While there is similar distortion in your portraiture, I think that is where the comparison ends because there is a contemplative calmness in your portraits unlike Bacon’s unsettling portraits. What is it that you explore in your portraits? The multiple portraits in each of your portrait series look similar with only subtle differences that are not noticeable at first glance (images below). What is the idea behind multiple, similar looking portraits?

RF: I think every artist is influenced by Bacon, or at least they should be, but that reference has become a little outdated at this point. I'm mostly inspired by his way of thinking about art. Of course, I love his work but I rarely use his images for inspiration anymore. I am however greatly interested in lectures about his process, what he read, what he liked, what he drew inspiration from and his approach to art. But my view on art and life isn't just shock and unsettling gore. He was a product of his time and circumstance, and I would like to be a product of my own time and my circumstance. I'm more hopeful than I choose to admit.

For my portraits, I set a specific goal on how much time I can spend on the first brushstrokes. I start by finishing one portrait and then I turn it around to separate myself from the image. Once it’s dry I turn it back around and only use the painting as a reference for the next portrait, disregarding the original reference. When the second portrait is finished, I take the first painting away so that it won’t have an influence on the third portrait. The second portrait goes through the same process of being turned away from me. I repeat this circle until I’ve completed the desired number of portraits in the series, usually three or four. The idea is that I want them, the paintings, just like history and myth, to change over time while drawing from the same source material. Just like Shani and Saturn, originating from our common ancestors, we’ll never know what they thought but we can try to trace it through these similar figures and names. The Indo-Europeans and their stories fascinate me to no end.

RK: Let’s talk colour. Pinks, turquoise greens, blues are unnatural and their combination against black in your palette makes your work unusual, striking and dramatic. How do you choose colour? Is it instinctual or pre-mediated?

RF: The colours are always instinctual. However, I'm always looking for colours everywhere I go and if a colour or combination of colours grab me in some subconscious way I usually take a photo or make a mental note. I've brought pictures of houses, photos of graffiti, fabrics even children's books to my local paint shop where they can mix for me any colour I can think of with all kinds of textures and sheens.

RK: Tell us about any other interest you may have besides your art practice. Does it get reflected in your art?

RF: To make art I think one must have a plethora of interests which one can draw images and inspiration from. I love film and challenging fiction. I love house plants, history, mythology and all objects that are well made and preferably made to last. All these things can be found in my work.

RK: Finally, what was  your visit to Delhi like? Was it how you had imagined it or did it surprised you?

RF: My time in Delhi was amazing. I had very little understanding of the city so it came as a complete culture shock for me. There was much to get used to and many things to learn but I fell in love with the traffic and driving in my home country will never be the same again.

The show Shani's Chariot, is curated by Aakshat Sinha and Olga Lystsova

on display till 12 December 2025 12.30-6.30pm daily (Sunday closed)

at Urban Fringe - the underground studio (F-15 Basement, Okhla Phase 1, Delhi)

The show was inaugurated by Ambassador of Iceland to India H.E. Benedikt Höskuldsson and his spouse Hjördís Magnúsdóttir on 16th November 2025. The show was initially till 30th November but has been extended till 12th December.

(All images are courtesy of the artist Reinar A Foreman.)

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Ranjan Kaul is a visual artist, art writer and critic, curator, author and Founding Partner of artamour. His works may be viewed on www.ranjankaul.com and his Instagram handle @ranjan_creates.