"Arne Ekeland was born on August 14, 1908. His birthplace is not without significance for the artist's life path. Ekeland felt life through a strong sense of belonging to the place and the social environment." Storm Bjerke 1997 page 26

Ekeland was an autodidact with the exception of a short stay as a visiting student under Axel Revold at the Academy in Oslo in autumn 1926. He attended the first time at the Autumn Exhibition in 1930, but it was only in 1934 that the public took notice of his art, including the National Gallery, which purchased "We jobless" and a year later bought the museum's other painting.

Ekeland's really big breakthrough came with the exhibition in th...