Håkon Bleken (b. 1929) has his education from the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts (1949-1953). He is one of Norway’s most prominent contemporary artists, being exhibited in major galleries and museums, and with extensive public art commissions. Bleken has greatly influenced the Norwegian and European contemporary art scene, and recently had an extensive exhibition shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Coruña (2016), as well as solo exhibitions at institutions like The Museum of Contemporary Art and Henie Onstad Kunstsenter. In 1999 he was appointed a Knight 1^st class, and in 2009 a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav. Håkon Bleken’s works are acquired by The Norwegian National Gallery, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Bergen Billedgalleri, Lillehammer Art Musuem, The City of Oslo Art Collection, and the Trondheim Art Museum, amongst others. When Bleken in 2005 was awarded the Anders Jahre’s Culture Award, he chose Sverre Bjertnes for Anders Jahre’s Award for Young Artists. The two artist’s mutual respect and admiration for each other’s works resulted in the duo exhibition AVTRYKK at QB Gallery in 2015.