“Symbiosis”
Public commission for Ravinen Culture House in Rælingen, Norway / 280cm x 280cm / 2023
Based on Yellow Curtain Crust mushroom and Elm Lichen (Gyalecta Ulmi), which grow in ravines in the district and are in danger of becoming extinct. The mushrooms are made of ceramics and greatly enlarged from their original size. The white lines in the background are representing mycelium threads, which are nature's communication network underneath the ground.
Through the work, I want to rise awareness on the role of fungi as an important decomposer in nature and the importance of taking care of species diversity.
I like the connection between the mycelium underneath the ground, as a comprehensive web of information flow, and how we today are connected across national borders through modern technology. It´s easy to overlook the tiny organisms that surround us, and it is perhaps only when we stop and really look that we notice them and their beauty.
“Mother”
Ceramics, coil built stoneware clay, brasschain / 88cm x 30cm / 2023 / Foto: Ina Wesenberg, Oslo Nationalmuseum
The title refers both to “Mother Earth”, which is at a breaking point, and to my own mother, who died after many years of intestinal problems, depression and subsequent dementia. According to one hypothesis, the gut plays a significant role in the developement of Dementia and Alzheimer´s. Just as it is hard to accept the disease Dementia, it is hard to accept that the earth on which we depend is threatened by the weight of humanity.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can ́t hit what the eyes can ́t see.”
Handbuilt ceramic sculpture/ 128cm x 37cm x26cm / 2016 / Foto:Morten Andreassen
The sculpture refers to a tense world situation, where armed conflicts and increasing refugee flows create division and xenophobia. The title "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see." is a quote taken from the former heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali.In addition to his skills in the ring, Ali is known for his fight for religious freedom and racial justice, and was in his time a strong champion of black rights in the United States. Taken out of its context, where the quote contains a form of survival tactic, it can also be seen here as a feeling of powerlessness over the situation, where countless innocent people suffer and are forced to flee. It is easy to create a divide between "us" and "them" and to forget that despite cultural differences, the basic needs are the same. Children who are deprived of their innocence too early can also later end up becoming a threat.
Public Commission for Larvik municipality at Fagerli primary school in Larvik, 2016:
"Varsom visdom" /614cm x 250cm/Painted MDF boards on the wall, milled holes for light units with LED and plexiglass. The small light units are programmed to change color from pale yellow to deep red independently of each other. The moon in the center shines constantly.
"Pale sky in the eyes of a stranger"
Ceramic sculpture, velour ribbon /130cm x 55cm x 30cm /
As humans, we are complex creatures, one moment we can feel confident and secure, then the next we can be insecure about ourselves and our surroundings. The twins represent one and the same person with a different approach to the outside world.
"Angels trumpet and the milky moon violin"
Girl figure: 145cm x 50cm x 50cm, Animal figure: 75cm x 50cm x 20cm
The title refers to the plant Brugmasia, also called Angel's Trumpet, which is highly poisonous and hallucinatory, and has beautiful, distinctive flowers. I liked the association to something so beautiful and vulnerable, yet so dangerous and at times deadly. The wish was to create an atmosphere somewhere between dream and reality, as if the girl and the little animal were in a limbo-like state. The child has a particularly important role in my work, as I see childhood as a stage in life you keep coming back to. You can both recognize yourself in and feel sympathy for a child, which in turn can arise a desire to protect and care for. The experiences we gain as children also help shape who we become as adults. The symbol-heavy and somewhat dreamlike atmosphere should help emphasize the child's imagination and perspective on things.
“Ataraxia”
Porcelain flowers, LED-lights, electronics, sound / 4,5m x 4,5m / 2014
