Roland Vikre was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1936. Largely self-taught, except for a brief stint at the Academy of Art in San Francisco; he rebelled against what he felt were the pretentious, narrow tastes of late 1950’s modern art, to create a unique, modern style all his own.

Using bold, pure color painted in many layers, Vikre created a clean, vibrant pallet from which to tell his story. Philosophy, religion, history, mythology and the popular music of his time were the subjects of interest to him. By eliminating what was not essential, Vikres’ work conveys a directness, and simplicity that is the mark of an adept craftsman.

He created art that is friendly, as well as thought provoking; full of wit and compassion. Art that spoke to his own curiosity about the world around him, and the world he found in books.

Suffering from a mild case of Tourettes Syndrome, Vikre was quiet and unassuming. He chose neither to show, nor promote his work. Instead, he kept to himself and his family; researching subject matter, honing his craft, and building the large wooden canvases on which he painted voraciously until his death in 2009.

It is our privilege to introduce you to the first gallery of work by an artist whom you may not be familiar with. An artist who believed that self-improvement was more important than self-promotion, and who understood that the surest path to finding your own voice was not to follow the world, but to follow your heart.