ABOUT
René Konings(b.1989)
is a Norwegian artist based in
Kristiansand, Norway.
What if the forgotten corners of our cities held the key to something beautiful? René collects discarded materials from the urban environment—posters, stickers, fragments of graffiti, concrete, scrap metal and plastic—and breathes new life into them. Through this practice he reconstructs the city's layers and material narratives, so each piece becomes an archive of memory and time. His work invites viewers to slow down and reconsider the value and stories hidden in what we throw away.
Trained in graphic design and shaped by the emerging urban art scene, René has progressed through several developmental stages in search of his artistic voice. Driven by the city's roughness and decay, he has forged a practice that fuses the ephemeral nature of street art with classical craftsmanship, producing works that balance painterly and sculptural forms.
In his TEDx talk "The beauty we throw away," René invites us to see the urban landscape with new eyes. He shows how discarded materials become art and symbols of transformation, encouraging us to find value in what others call waste.
When he cuts, burns and treats these surfaces, René reveals how discarded materials can be revitalized, combining the raw and the refined. Through meticulous attention to detail, he invites viewers to reflect on the passage of time, consumption and renewal. In an era when sustainability is increasingly important, René questions consumer culture while celebrating the aesthetic complexity of urban life.
By replacing traditional canvases with his own panels, he opens up a wide and versatile range of materials and painterly approaches.
“The materials I collect from the streets have lived a life, and their stories are the visual vocabulary of my work. By bringing them into the studio and giving them new life through a wide range of techniques, I explore how weathering and decay shape patina, textures, forms and colors.” – René Konings
