It has been thirteen years since Elling Reitan last exhibited in Trondheim. The exhibition launching at Britannia this month will be an opportunity for his home audience to see what he stands for. Strong colours, a distinctive visual language, and the Yin and Yang figures which have become his signature, all create a clear profile of who the artist is.

Reitan's art is loved by a large audience. In fact, that audience is even bigger in cities outside his homeland: New York, Miami, Seattle, Singapore and Beijing to name but a few which have embraced his art. The artist also exhibits regularly in Oslo, with the 2012 exhibition at Fineart at Aker Brygge being a highlight. Since his debut in 1979, Reitan has held over 150 exhibitions.

Trondheim has fostered many great artists and Elling Reitan belongs to the local top echelon.

Not that art is a competition: it's an international language, and Elling Reitan found his voice early on. With his symbolic elements, balanced compositions and a visual language inspired by Edvard Munch, the artist struck a nerve on the international scene. Gradually he has developed and strengthened his distinctive character with abstract compositions and landscape interpretations. He has created an expression that is his alone.

With 93 works on display, the exhibition any Britannia Hotel is Elling Reitan's most extensive to date. It has a historical perspective with selected works from the 31 years he has been a full-time artist. Early in his career, the motifs were inspired by his background in philosophy and history. The teacher Odd Nerdrum's limited colour scale was quickly shelved in favour of a colourful, thoughtful and joy-oriented visual language.

A turning point came in the artist's career just over ten years ago. After the series of illustrations "Solomon's Song of Songs" (2010), Reitan went deeper into painted abstraction. He simplified the expression and researched the possibilities that arise in the meeting between colour and form. His artist profile is therefore, perhaps, even stronger today than ever before.

Reitan has worked long and hard in the lead up to this exhibition. Although his colour palette has become somewhat calmer, the artist's joy in the majesty of colours are still one of his distinctive features. With this exhibition, he stands out as an abstract colourist with his feet firmly planted in a tradition. The Britannia exhibition shows Reitan's relationship with the real world meets the possibilities of imagination and thought.

Lars Elton.

Lars Elton (1957) is a critic, writer, freelance journalist and editor. He has a longstanding association with the newspaper Dagsavisen, and has more than 35 years of experience as a critic for the publications VG, Aftenposten, Dagbladet, Klassekampen and Morgenbladet, amongst others. He has published several books and writes about art and culture-related topics in a wide variety of publications.