Eirik Lütken

"Along with Nerdrum, Eirik Lütken exhibits paintings showing a high quality of craftsmanship. Man and woman are shown in an unusual and interesting cool athmosphere; her with a wip, him being a dwarf. In this painting, the surreal aspect of it, is obvious, and the painting shows a certain familiarity with Reene Magritte's cool interpretation of human beings. Eirik Lütken has also managed to create a certain duality between the surfaces and the depth of the painting with renaissance like window against the nature scenes of the background. Interesting.

His self-portraits seem less gaudy and theatrical than others within the classical Norwegian school. Lütken has managed to show a piercing and vulnerable view of his own person. Furthermore, he has given the figures a good plastic wholeness, where the overall impression of the paintings counts more than the details. You will also find an element of theatre in Lütkens paintings, but in his works the classical and oldmasterly painted headcloth is used for protection, in the fightersport the artist himself practice, in other words, it is an element of the world of today, not just an aimless requisite.

Some of the most prizeworthy aspect of Eirik Lütken and his works, is that he manages to stop the detailed naturalisme in time; he does not press realisme or naturalisme too hard, thereby manages to avoid the artistic embarassement which is caused by getting "too close" on the external visual plane. His paining has, on the other hand, aspects of the ability to take the internal aspect of the other, of empathy."

-Peter Serck, Norwegian author and art critic writing for Morgenbladet