The Work and Character of Bjorn Veno

Veno's ongoing work 'MANN' concerns male identity, which he feels is in need of addressing in light of the extensive focus on femininity. His work looks at issues of male confidence into adulthood, as a man realises his inevitable failure at fulfilling the 'hero characters' of childhood. The work is in a sense autobiographical, or certainly self-reflective.

From Chapter I, Sirkel Bjorn Veno

There is humour and self-mockery to his work, although it may not be apparent at the surface of the images, it is displayed in Veno's Artist Talk video – where he talks dryly and ironically of his own foolishness in holding onto childish desires. "You might be a big muscle builder, confident and secure, me - I have fleeting moments of confidence, the rest of the time I wonder: what the hell am I doing?" (0:46 - 1:07). What's really of note here is this repeating trait of self-mockery, it continues to reveal itself and it comes to define Veno's character as a practitioner. A result of self-portraiture – the artist lives in the work, and the work lives in the artist.