Magne Furuholmen :: Biography

Magne Furuholmen Collection

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Biography

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Early Life

Magne Furuholmen was born on November 1st, 1962, in Manglerud, Oslo, Norway. His parents were Kåre and Annelise Furuholmen.

From early childhood he was interested in music, likely influenced by his father who played trumpet in Bent Solve's Orchestra. Tragically, when Mags was only five years old, the airplane carrying his father's band crashed over Drammen, a town south of Oslo, and Kåre Furuholmen was killed.

After a while, Annelise married again, giving Magne a half sister, Line, and two half brothers, Thorstien and Trygve. Magne had a fairly normal and happy upbringing and shares a close relationship with his mother.

When Mags was 10 years old he met Pål Waaktaar. They immediately became friends and through their mutual ability and love of music their friendship became strong. Mags has been quoted as saying that Pål is his best friend and that he relies on Pål to help him pull his ideas together.

When Mags was fifteen, the family moved to Asker, near Oslo. This was a more upmarket area and Mags, with his long hair, hippyish ways and bohemian attitude, found his new home a little hard to come to terms with. Despite this, of the three members of a-ha, Mags enjoyed school at Askers Young Peoples University, playing soccer and performing in the school band.

Music Career - The Early Years

In the mid-seventies, Mags and Pål joined with Øystein Jevanord and Viggo Bondi to form the band Bridges. This was a serious venture that produced two albums, though financed and produced by Bridges themselves.

Øystein and Viggo did not share Pål and Magne's passion to extend themselves musically abroad. Magne and Pål felt that to really make it they had to conquer the British music scene. They set off to London with 10,000 kroner and a pocket full of dreams.

Over the years Mags himself has written songs for the band with varying success. Maybe, Maybe on Scoundrel Days and Sometimes The Way We Talk on East of the Sun, West of the Moon, but by the 2001 release of Minor Earth, Major Sky the lyrics & music to the track I Wish I Cared showed beautifully poetic songwriting.

Visual Arts Career

When the band first split in the early 90s, Magne immersed himself in modern art and became quite successful, especially in his native Norway. His first exhibition was in 1989. Since then he has painted and created work in many different mediums, and his work has been exhibited worldwide.

Personal Life: Magne is married to Heidi. They have been together for over twenty years and married in August of 1992. They have two sons, Thomas Vincent (born April 1990) and Fellip August (born October 1993).

Musically, he teamed up with Kjetil Bjerkestrand to write the score for the film Ti kniver i hjertet. Furuholmen and Bjerkestrand formed Timbersound and still work together. They recorded the album Hotel Oslo in 1998, the soundtrack for a Norwegian television series of the same name.

Recent Years and Continued Creativity

In 2012, the three members of a-ha were appointed Knights of the 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in recognition of their contributions to Norwegian culture and music.

Magne's visual art career has continued to flourish. In 2016, he completed his largest commission to date, creating Scandinavia's largest ceramic sculpture park titled "Imprints" at Fornebu outside Oslo.

In 2017, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Agder for his significant artistic efforts. He has served as artistic mentor to Queen Sonja of Norway, with their collaborative exhibitions touring internationally.

After a-ha announced another split in 2010, the band reunited again in 2015 for their album Cast in Steel and subsequent world tour. In 2017, they recorded an acoustic performance for MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice. The pandemic in 2020 forced the postponement of their world tour plans.

In 2021-2022, a-ha recorded their 11th studio album True North in Bodø, Norway, accompanied by a concert film celebrating Norwegian nature and the climate. The album and film were released in October 2022, followed by a world tour.

Alongside a-ha, Magne has continued his work with Savoy (with Paul Waaktaar-Savoy), releasing the album Under in 2024. He has also been active in various side projects including Apparatjik and collaborations with different artists.

In late 2024, Magne experienced a six-month setback due to long Covid, which delayed his solo work. However, he released his latest solo album Living With Ourselves in early 2025, initially as a limited edition vinyl with each record personally colour-mixed by Magne (selling out within minutes), followed by a CD release in Japan.

In 2025, journalist Ørjan Nilsson published Livslinjer – Magne Furuholmen om kunst, musikk og kreativitet, completing his trilogy of books about the members of a-ha. The book is based on extensive conversations exploring Magne's creative process across both music and visual arts.

Magne's visual art continues to evolve. In May 2025, he exhibited 49 monoprints at The National Arts Club in New York, followed by a major solo exhibition at the Fineart gallery in Oslo. His recent work includes the "Before Memory" series, along with paintings, jars, and ceramic sculptures.

He is also working on innovative projects including a biolab collaboration growing polypores to form letters in a large Oslo atrium.

Now 62 and a grandfather, Magne continues to balance his dual careers in music and visual arts, remaining one of Norway's most prominent cultural figures. As 2025 marks 40 years since "Take On Me" became a worldwide hit, his legacy as both musician and visual artist continues to grow.