BIOGRAPHY
Roger Hjorleifson FRSASA
Sculptor
Roger was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1963. His family moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada when Roger was 4 and at that age started to show his artistic talent through modelling clay. Even at such a young age he was able to make detailed facsimiles of animals, people and imaginary creatures.
At the age of nineteen Roger left Canada to venture abroad on his own. It was his childhood goal to come to Australia to see all its amazing wildlife and natural wonders. He backpacked around Australia for seven months, travelling to remote areas, even spending time as an outback station hand. The unique wildlife, both fauna and flora, had Roger marvelling at the diversity of the hot, dry Australian bush – the complete opposite to the environment he had been brought up in.
Roger settled in Adelaide, South Australia where he married and has two children.
In 2001, Roger decided to take up sculpting again. Today his highly detailed, lifelike clay wildlife sculptures are easily recognizable in galleries and art shows in South Australia and interstate. Highlights include winning four consecutive awards, including two Silver Medals at the prestigious Wildlife Art Society of Australasia’s biennial art exhibition, held in Melbourne, Finalist & People’s choice award at the 2009 Brighton Sculptures by the Sea, First Prize at the Campbelltown Art Show in 2006, 2007 and again in 2009. 2008 he recieved Second Prize. He achieved Fellowship status within one year of joining the highly esteemed Royal South Australian Society of Arts, founded in 1856, the oldest in Australia. There he won the People's Choice in the inaugural Solar Art Prize, which exhibited 75 artworks produced from dozens of highly accomplished artists.
All his work is handmade and then painstakingly hand painted, each a one-of-a-kind original. Rather than using the traditional glazes, Roger prefers to use acrylics to create realistic tones. Adding to the realism, his work is often mounted on natural stone or wood.
As well as having a number of pieces displayed in several art galleries, Roger also works on commissioned pieces. He is a Fellow of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts, a member of The Red House Group, and a council member of the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia. His work is continuingly highly sought after and is held by local, interstate and international collectors, both in the private and corporate sectors.
See CV for awards.
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Sculptor
Roger was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1963. His family moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada when Roger was 4 and at that age started to show his artistic talent through modelling clay. Even at such a young age he was able to make detailed facsimiles of animals, people and imaginary creatures.
At the age of nineteen Roger left Canada to venture abroad on his own. It was his childhood goal to come to Australia to see all its amazing wildlife and natural wonders. He backpacked around Australia for seven months, travelling to remote areas, even spending time as an outback station hand. The unique wildlife, both fauna and flora, had Roger marvelling at the diversity of the hot, dry Australian bush – the complete opposite to the environment he had been brought up in.
Roger settled in Adelaide, South Australia where he married and has two children.
In 2001, Roger decided to take up sculpting again. Today his highly detailed, lifelike clay wildlife sculptures are easily recognizable in galleries and art shows in South Australia and interstate. Highlights include winning four consecutive awards, including two Silver Medals at the prestigious Wildlife Art Society of Australasia’s biennial art exhibition, held in Melbourne, Finalist & People’s choice award at the 2009 Brighton Sculptures by the Sea, First Prize at the Campbelltown Art Show in 2006, 2007 and again in 2009. 2008 he recieved Second Prize. He achieved Fellowship status within one year of joining the highly esteemed Royal South Australian Society of Arts, founded in 1856, the oldest in Australia. There he won the People's Choice in the inaugural Solar Art Prize, which exhibited 75 artworks produced from dozens of highly accomplished artists.
All his work is handmade and then painstakingly hand painted, each a one-of-a-kind original. Rather than using the traditional glazes, Roger prefers to use acrylics to create realistic tones. Adding to the realism, his work is often mounted on natural stone or wood.
As well as having a number of pieces displayed in several art galleries, Roger also works on commissioned pieces. He is a Fellow of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts, a member of The Red House Group, and a council member of the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia. His work is continuingly highly sought after and is held by local, interstate and international collectors, both in the private and corporate sectors.
See CV for awards.
***