Espen Rian Martinsen was born into a family of artists, with the painter Johs Rian (1891–1981) as his grandfather. He completed his studies in painting at Einar Granum Art School in 1989 with a very good academic final assessment. Later he began studies at the School of Arts and Crafts and the painting department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Oslo. During various stays at Dikemark psychiatric sykehus In the early 2000s, he worked on a number of portraits. Through the teaching program at Kongsskogen VGS, studio work was facilitated in the attic, and the school brought in professional artists as tutors in the teaching, among them visual artist Greta Gjøl Hagen.

During his period at Dikemark, Rian Martinsen showed a particular interest in portrait painting and the anatomy of the body. The works are characterized by a direct and playful use of color, an energetic line and a clear interest in the inner life of man. The portraits convey an intense presence and ambiguous emotional charge, where one face can accommodate different expressions. Most of the paintings are dated and signed, while others are in process. The portraits provide an insight into an autonomous artistry that has grown up in a distinctive institutional and educational environment.

Kunsthall Dikemark are proud to present a selection of the paintings that were created during this period, and to highlight both the artistic work and the school's importance as part of the cultural history of the place.