Ole Hofman Sporring was born in Frederiksberg in 1941. He studied under Dan Sterup-Hansen and Egill Jacobsen at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen between 1961 and 1965. He later worked as a professor at that same institution from 1986 to 1995.
Constructivism, which the artist discovered under Sterup-Hansen’s tutelage, carried much of Sporring’s early artistic urgency. A shift progressively came through the Dane’s signature use of bold expressive colours, which served as the cementing element of often highly layered compositions.
Thematically, the artist also found a voice by refusing to keep quiet about social and societal issues dear to his heart. Environmental concerns, such as climate change, the use of nuclear power and managing its waste, are core issues of Sporring’s oeuvre. Overall, the artist considers art as a breeding ground for political discourse.
Yet, in spite of his weighty subjects, the artist never relinquishes levity. This aspect is best captured by his comic and comic-inspired work, a practice – started in the 1960s – that sought to break down the boundaries between high and low culture.
A list of Sporring’s major exhibitions reads as follows: KE (1961, 1962, 1964); The Å exhibition (1963, 1979, 1980); The Youth Biennale in Paris (1963); Nordic graphics in Oslo (1964); Danish painting in Odense (1965); Poex (1965); Clausens Kunsthandel (1963, 1967, 1977, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1993); Danmarks Hus in Stockholm (1980); Kobberstiksamlingen (1983); 18th Biennale in Sao Paolo (1985); Kunstforeningen i Kbh (1987); Clausens Kunsthandel (2004, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2021, 2021).
Among the acknowledgements that Sporring received throughout his career, we can highlight the Eckersberg Medal (1983) and the Thorvaldsen Medal (2001).
Sporring passed away in 2019.
