Localfolk Oslo

OSLO / A-L AB / AUL A / MAKERIE STUDIO

Localfolk

© Copyright 2021 Localfolk Norway All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Magazine contains content marketing/advertorials.

This magazine is printed on Scandia 2000 premium paper

by Rolf Ottesen AS.

Localfolk

ISSUE FOUR NOVEMBER 2021

Editor-in-Chief Mette Tonnessen mette@localfolknorway.com Associate Editor Charlie Jarvis

Words Kai Isaksen, Julia Elizabeth Yager, Sally Fox, Maria Vole, Benjamin Norris, Charlie Jarvis, Maria Jakobsen

Subscribe Visit our website at www.localfolknorway.com to subscribe to our magazine, and receive every issue in your email.

4

Localfolk Norway

Images Julie Wilkinson, Daniel Gall, Julie Solberg Berntsen, Marthe Thu, Niklas Adrian Vindelev, Alice Gao, Oda Olafsrud, Ivan Brody, A-lab, Jean-Pierre Mesinele, Lisa Mari Bynes, Espen Grønli, J.B Ugland, Aula, Øyvind Halsøy, Einar Aslaksen, Kjetil Gudem, Camilla Reinfjell, Elisabeth Aarhus, Multiform, Erik Faukland, Gallery Nobel, Aliona Pazdniakova, Anne Lise Norheim, Espen Nersveen, Isaia Johnson, Benedicte Lindman, Marianne Nygaard Palmberg, Rino Larsen, Benjamin A. Ward, Ellen Fossli, Kari Anne Marstein, Monica Friedrich Johannessen, Ulla Westbø, Julie Pike, Andreas Holleufer Biedilæ, Harald Dahl-Pedersen, Kristian Jøraandstad, Emil Sollie, Inger Marie Grini, Oda Hveem, Line Vågsmyr, Isaia C. Holsæter

Localfolk Norway - A Localfolk Collection Publication A big thank you to all the contributors and everyone else who supports Localfolk Norway. We provide highquality content marketing/advertorials to promote the best Norway has to offer of design, food, architecture and innovation.

Printer Rolf Ottesen AS Enebakkveien 443, 1290 Oslo

Cover "Oslo" Makerie Studio

www.localfolknorway.com post@localfolknorway.com instagram.com/localfolknorway facebook.com/localfolknorway

LOCALFOLK

The premier design platform where you find Norway’s independent makers and local businesses. Our mission is to introduce you to creatives from all over Norway, by telling their story.

Localfolk is a quarterly design magazine that was born to enrich our online catalogue and support our community, writing about local artisans, makers, designers, and entrepreneurs. Each issue, you’ll discover a new region of Norway through the eyes of its creative community.

We’ll introduce you to these dynamic businesses and producers through fascinating interviews, in-depth features and high-quality photography.

OSLO

Welcome to this presentation of the creative community in Oslo. This curated collection of creatives is a celebration of the versatile range of talent and skills that is available in this vibrant city.

Localfolk Magazine

5

Moltzau Packaging / Multiform Oslo / Rino Larsen / Thorsønn / Toril Kojan / Varier Furniture

Kiki Plesner / Kubik Interior Architects / Makerie Studio / Marianne Nygaard Palmberg /

Julie Solberg Berntsen / Kaja Gjedebo Design / Kari Anne Marstein / KarianneG / Kathrine Lindman /

Empress / Galler y Nobel / Gro Mukta Holter / Gulset / Hanne Biedilæ / House of Creation / Inger Marie Grini /

A-Lab / Anne-Britt Kristiansen / Aula / Aurora Verksted / Dahl-Pedersen Jeweller y / David-Andersen / Emil Sollie /

OSLO

Contents Issue Four

10

Welcome to Oslo

Architecture / Art / Design

8

14 20 26 36 42 48 56

Makerie Studio Empress Julie Solberg Berntsen Varier Furniture House of Creation A-lab Aula

64 74 84 92 100 108 110

Kubik Interior Architects Aurora Verksted Thorsønn Multiform Oslo David-Andersen Moltzau Packaging Gallery Nobel

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk of Oslo 120 130 136 144 145 146 150

Kaja Gjedebo Design Anne-Britt Kristiansen Gro Mukta Holter Kathrine Lindman Marianne Nygaard Palmberg Rino Larsen KarianneG

152 154 158 160 162 166 172 184

Kari Anne Marstein Plesner Patterns Hanne Biedilæ Dahl-Pedersen Jewellery Toril Kojan Gulset Inger Marie Grini Emil Sollie

Localfolk Magazine

9

Welcome to the Oslo issue

10

Localfolk Norway

59.9139° N, 10.7522° E

Situated between forests and the fjord, Oslo is a compact city where old meets new. Since being founded at the end of the Viking Age by King Harald Hardråde, this cultural capital has grown to nearly 700,000 inhabitants, making it Norway’s most populous city today. The Akershus Fortress serves as a reminder of Oslo’s medieval history, while the Opera House stands side-by-side with the new Deichman Main Library, representing modern-day architectural feats. Moreover, the Munch Museum and Vigeland Park feature two of the most famous Norwegian artists—painter Edvard Munch and sculptor Gustav Vigeland. On the Bygdøy peninsula, both the Viking Ship Museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum share tales of the country’s past, and at Aker Brygge, the largest art museum in the Nordic region is scheduled to open in June of 2022.

Given Oslo’s historic past and promising future, it’s not surprising that creatives from all walks of life have decided to call this city home, many of whom settle in a borough called Grünerløkka. Known as the hipster part of town, this old industrial district has since transformed into a vibrant neighbourhood with pop-up stores, vintage shops, art galleries, design boutiques, street art and graffiti, artisanal food, flea markets, unique eateries, and more.

Bordering Grünerløkka to the west lies a borough called St. Hanshaugen, known for its plethora of parks and rich cultural offerings. It is here that the award-winning Makerie Studio is located, a creative workshop founded and run by Julie Wilkinson and Joyanne Horscroft, specialising in three dimensional showpieces such as the Oslo skyline that graces the cover of this issue.

Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager

Directly south of St. Hanshaugen lies the city centre, which is home to the iconic bronze tiger sculpture that stands outside Oslo Central Station. Made by Elena Engelsen to celebrate the city’s thousandyear anniversary in 2000, this sculpture is a popular meeting spot for locals and tourists alike. The main walking street of the city—Karl Johans gate—runs from the tiger sculpture to the Royal Palace, which is the official residence of the Norwegian Royal Family and one of the country’s most important buildings.

Sprinkled throughout the city centre’s side streets are dozens of coffee shops, microbreweries, food trucks, pubs and clubs, music venues, fine dining restaurants, cocktail bars and more, which together make up Oslo’s vibrant urban scene.

It is evident that Norway’s capital has a lot to offer for the culturally-inclined and artistically-minded, and yet the city remains in a period of constant growth and transformation. Recently opened coworking spaces foster collaboration among artists, while the many green spaces around town provide inspiration for future projects. The extensive festival program caters to all types of music lovers—from rock and jazz to opera and fusion—and the more than fifty museums cover a variety of topics—from art and history to bibles and Vikings to animals and sports.

As new attractions emerge and old neighbourhoods are redeveloped, the creative opportunities in Oslo will only continue to increase in the coming years.

In this issue, we feature a mix of independent makers and large-scale businesses to showcase the true diversity of Oslo’s creative community.

Localfolk Magazine

11

Architecture / Art / Design

14 20 26 36 42 48 56

Makerie Studio Empress Julie Solberg Berntsen Varier Furniture House of Creation A-lab Aula

64 74 84 92 100 108 110

Kubik Interior Architects Aurora Verksted Thorsønn Multiform Oslo David-Andersen Moltzau Packaging Gallery Nobel

14

Localfolk Norway

Makerie Studio

Elegant illustration in three dimensions

From Milan to New York, Makerie Studio has spent over a decade producing intricate, sculptural paper creations for the world’s biggest brands. Now, the team has established itself in Oslo too.

Image / Julie Wilkinson Words / Charlie Jarvis

Localfolk Editorial

15

“W

hen we started Makerie, we would just spend our weekends and evenings building our own projects. Then, one day, I wrote to a photographer I really liked in Milan to ask if we could collaborate on something in the future. She wrote back the next day, saying ‘I have a Vogue shoot the day after tomorrow.

Can you make a lion?’ We were like um, yes!”

We’re speaking to Julie Wilkinson, one half of Makerie Studio, whose work adorns the front cover of this Localfolk edition.

Makerie is an international creative studio producing paper showpieces. Yet, that doesn’t really do justice to what Julie does with her creative partner, the UK-based Joyanne Horscroft. Together, they make sculptural creations of breath-taking imagination and intricacy, astonishing scale and skill, involving birds, landscapes, and, yes, lions—all from paper. These “3D illustrations”, in Julie’s words, are then used in photoshoots, editorials, and window displays for some of the world’s biggest brands, from Gucci to Google, from Nespresso to Nike.

Julie makes their success sound pretty effortless. “When we ended up in Vogue, Gucci saw our work and asked us to do their windows—and it really all went from there. We would just write to people that we thought it would be cool to work with. Luckily, many of them wrote back saying ‘we’d love to’!”

Yet, Julie’s humility hides the reality of the duo’s hard work. Julie and Joyanne met in Bath, UK, while studying graphic design at university. Soon they began to create projects together in the moments between their day jobs (“we’d just get together to build a peacock!”) and built up a portfolio to show to possible clients.

But their work with Gucci changed everything. Since then, they’ve been accepting commissions from across the world—from Milan and London to New York, and many places in between. Even now, though, the fast pace of work hasn’t changed. “Sometimes, we’ll have a job come in on Thursday for the Monday—which is still pretty crazy,” Julie admits. “But now we have some great assistants, and all sorts of fancy machines that make our lives a little easier.”

16

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

17

18

Localfolk Norway

Image / Line Vågsmyr

“I love the Scandinavian, Nordic aesthetic, and I try to add elements of that into my work. But I don’t think that style is necessarily us. My style is much more Italian, more ornamental and decorative. In fact, it’s shown me what I might have to offer Norway.”

The two now are in different places—Julie is in Oslo, while Joyanne has a studio in London. Yet, Julie tells us that they’ve reached a point where they don’t need to work side by side for Makerie Studio projects to have their recognisable elegance and quality. “We’re basically just two of the same person!” Julie says. “That means we won’t work on the same commission unless it’s something really big or something we’re both passionate about. These days Joy tends to handle the larger rollouts of window displays, while I focus on shorter projects like unique pieces for photoshoots or one-off displays.”

Naturally, though, as places change, priorities change too. Now settled in Oslo, Julie is focusing her efforts on finding clients across Scandinavia and she’s conscious of the challenges—and artistic opportunities—that this new place presents.

“I love the Scandinavian, Nordic aesthetic, and I try to add elements of that into my work. But I don’t think that style is necessarily us. My style is much more Italian—more ornamental and decorative. Being here has made me appreciate that side of myself more. In fact, it’s shown me what I might have to offer Norway.”

Looking ahead, Julie seems characteristically relaxed about the many different projects coming Makerie’s way.

“There’s lots of little bits and pieces in the pipeline that we’re looking to bring together right now. We now have some wonderful agents here in Oslo, and I’m working on some products to sell through our shop, for example— along with some personal things to feed my soul a little.

Luckily, we’re in a position now where we can handle many different things at the same time—wherever we are in the world.”

Instagram / @makeriestudio makeriestudio.com Localfolk Magazine

19

Empress

The kombucha brand brewing a bright new future It’s hard to imagine a couple more passionate about what they do than Christer and Anna Karenina, the pair at the helm of Empress—what is arguably Oslo’s fastest growing, and undeniably its most stylish, kombucha brand.

20

Localfolk Norway

Facing Image / Johanne Log Edit / Johanne Log & Anna Karenina Words / Benjamin Norris

Localfolk Magazine

21

22

Localfolk Norway

L

ocalfolk caught up with Empress, Oslo’s fermentation enthusiasts, on a wintry Monday morning. What followed was an hour of vibrant conversation that covered everything from smuggling scoby out of Mexico to ideas for alcohol-free sparkling ‘alt-wines’. Of course, it took a deep dive into the alchemy of fermentation and the joy of foraging and designing gut-healthy natural flavours too.

Christer and Anna’s joyous approach to their booming start-up is infectious, and it isn’t hard to understand why their products have captured the attention of an evergrowing customer base.

“We discovered kombucha while on holiday in Cabo, Mexico,” Anna Karenina explains. “For me, there was a real ‘wow’ moment from that first sip. We’re passionate foodies and had been looking to start our own business in Oslo for some time. We’d considered opening a restaurant, but after talking to Vanessa who makes kombucha at her own microbrewery in Cabo, it was clear that our future lay in fermentation.”

Christer, in his words the “systematic one” of the partnership, goes on to explain how that first encounter sowed the seeds of what would quickly become Empress, the non-alcoholic brewery.

“The first batches weren’t great, but the process was exciting enough for us to persevere. We went from a few litres being made in our living room to having three 120 litre tanks, turning our living room into a small microbrewery—and the results just got better and better.”

Kombucha, the fizzy fermented drink made from a blend of tea, natural flavours, and ‘scoby’ (an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts), is growing in popularity with health-conscious millennial and younger audiences worldwide, and yet is only just breaking through on the Norwegian scene.

The success of Empress, however, proves just how ready the local and national audience is for the product— and demand has only increased over the past couple of years. Anna’s background in design shines through their labelling and pitch-perfect social media presence, but also in the way each Empress product is meticulously crafted, the result of endless experimentation and discovery.

Image / Anna Karenina

Localfolk Magazine

23

“We started by making kombucha primarily for ourselves, for its health benefits and invigorating flavour,” Anna tells us. “Christer and I were big yogis— although we have little time for anything other than Empress now—and we started sharing our creations with our friends, family and our yoga community who were incredibly enthusiastic about our holistic-minded products and gut-healthy ferments.”

From there, Empress decided to go all-in—and, since then, success has followed success for Anna and Christer. They’ve gone from brewing ‘booch’ in their living room to working with Michelin star restaurants and collaborating with brands as prestigious as Dior, Vogue Scandinavia, and Holzweiler. They also keep getting invited to serve their signature alcohol-free kombucha cocktails in events around Oslo.

But once it was clear that Empress kombucha had a clear audience, Christer and Anna Karenina dedicated themselves to finding the optimal blends of teas and flavour experimentations. Their dizzying combination of crafted black and green tea blends, for example, sets Empress apart from other kombucha brands, which primarily use more tannic, darker, and bitter black teas, Anna explains—while their best-selling ginger kombucha is blended with goji berry and ayurvedic herb blends, strawberry and hibiscus-cardamom, rose juniper, and beetroot turmeric.

Their philosophy of pairing gut-friendly ingredients with a passion for flavour and design has struck a real chord with the public—and has allowed the pair to expand their love of ferments to a range of related products. As Christer explains, the company is now producing “kimchi, our own range of vinegars, and alcohol-free wines alternatives.”

At that point, with the recipes down, it was time to take Empress kombucha to the public.

“There were two big breakthroughs for us. The first was seeing my nephew’s face after trying our strawberry kombucha for the first time. He was completely overwhelmed by the flavour! The second was when we took our homemade, hand-labelled bottles of kombucha to a vegan food festival in Oslo. We sold every single one—and were awarded best in show!”

24

Localfolk Norway

But, with their pop-ups and events, Empress isn’t just about introducing new flavours and ingredients to people. Rather, it’s a way of sharing a passion for delicious alcohol-free alternatives and tonics which come with a thrilling array of benefits. Now approaching the challenges of scaling, and courting the vast American and European markets, Empress is set to bring that passion to the wider world.

Instagram / @drinkempress empressbrew.no

Images / Anna Karenina

Localfolk Magazine

25

26

Localfolk Norway

Julie Solberg Berntsen Art direction and ceramics

Full-time art director and part-time ceramicist, Julie Solberg Berntsen has no problem filling her schedule. From her workshop, she creates beautiful pieces of art and designs practical everyday items, intended to be used and loved daily.

Images / Julie Solberg Berntsen Words / Kai Isaksen

Localfolk Editorial

27

B

orn into a creative family, Julie Solberg Berntsen grew up surrounded by arts and handicrafts. Her mother shared her love of crafts and her grandmother taught her different knitting techniques—and, from an early age, Julie attended a hobby club where she learned various skills herself. “I was an only child until the age of eight, so I would entertain myself by making things,” she tells Localfolk. It was on a trip to Tallinn with her mother that Julie discovered what would later become her life passion: ceramics.

“I was interested in ceramics before the trip, but seeing these beautiful creations made by one woman in Tallinn really awoke my passion.”

Julie decided to study Art Direction at Westerdals School of Art in Oslo and quickly realised that this education provided a solid foundation for several possible career paths. In the end, she chose to pursue event management and now works as an art director.

But, looking for a source of relaxation and a way to recharge after her busy workday, she finally took up ceramics in 2018.

28

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

29

30

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

31

32

Localfolk Norway

“Sometimes I have to fulfil a specific order, but other times I find it’s best to just let randomness rule—and to follow the different properties of different batches of clay.”

Photographer / Marthe Thu

Localfolk Magazine

33

34

Localfolk Norway

While Julie had initially thought of signing up for a ceramics course, no classes were available at the time—so she decided to dive right in on her own.

She quickly realised that ceramics was a lot more difficult than it looked at first glance. Yet, despite the challenging start, Julie was determined to succeed, and so she rented a space in a shared workshop, where she picked up tips and tricks from other artists.

“My advice to anyone thinking of starting with ceramics? Go for it—but keep your expectations low in the beginning!”

Over time, Julie mastered different techniques and gained the confidence to exhibit her work online.

She discovered that people loved her pieces—and she started receiving orders from friends and strangers alike. Instagram remains one of Julie’s main sales channels, and she’s currently putting the finishing touches on a new website which launched now in November.

Julie draws inspiration from other ceramicists on Instagram and tries to incorporate some of their ideas into her own work, but often she ends up making

things without a plan. “Sometimes I have to fulfil a specific order, but other times I find it’s best to just let randomness rule—and to follow the different properties of different batches of clay.”

Decorative items with a practical purpose are Julie’s favourite things to create, such as plates, cups and saucers. “It’s much easier to make individual items, however, than a set of four plates that should look roughly the same,” she laughs. Her head is constantly spinning with new ideas for items and projects, and she has yet to run into a creative block.

Julie shares that she’s in a good place right now and doesn’t have any big career plans for the future. She feels that her high-paced job as an art director pairs well with her independent work as a ceramicist.

“Sometimes I feel a bit of pressure to produce orders quickly, but I know it is entirely self-made pressure.

People are generally happy to wait for as long it takes to complete an order.” For now, she’s just happy getting better every day.

Instagram / @julie_solberg juliesolberg.no Localfolk Magazine

35

36

Localfolk Norway

Varier Furniture

Ergonomic chairs for everyday use

Known for its quality, ergonomic chairs, Varier Furniture is perhaps the most innovative furniture design brand in Oslo. The radical idea at its heart? That furniture should encourage us to move.

Images / Niklas Adrian Vindelev Words / Kai Isaksen

The history of Varier Furniture takes us back to the 1970s.

After years of research, Hans Christian Mengshoel and his collaborators at the Statens Teknologiske Institutt proposed a radical idea that questioned the very conventions of furniture: sitting on a downward sloping seat coupled with shin supports could constitute a more balanced way of sitting—benefiting both our bodies and minds.

Localfolk Magazine

37

“When designing a new chair, we want to explore how it can invite us to flow between positions, instead of being locked into a single one.”

Chair Collection / Ekstrem

Localfolk Magazine

39

“From this insight began a revolution in furniture design,” Leif Holst-Liæker, the CEO of Varier Furniture, tells us at Localfolk. “As a result, designers were invited to create prototypes that put Mengshoel’s idea of ‘balanced sitting’—or the balans concept—into practice. One of them was Peter Opsvik, whose designs earned an important place in Norwegian furniture history.”

Opsvik advocated that sitting still in the same position isn’t what’s best for our health—nor for our ability to be creative. Instead, Opsvik suggested, when we sit, we should be encouraged to move. And to this day, Varier Furniture is still producing furniture based on this simple insight—that the conventional way of sitting puts strain on our bodies and stifles our creativity.

“The human body is at the center of all Varier designs,” Leif says. “When designing a new chair, we want to explore how it can invite us to flow between positions, instead of being locked into a single one.”

Yet, if the brand’s trademark is its ergonomic design, aesthetics are just as important. In fact, the brand’s determination to innovate both in terms of form and function has produced some of its most recognisable products—such as Ekstrem™ and Variable™, which push our understanding of what a chair can even be.

“Collaborations with some of the leading names in design—like Snøhetta and Kvadrat—have helped us produce long-lasting and visually striking products,” Leif explains, “but our commitment to sustainability has always been important too.”

The pandemic has resulted in a period of rapid growth for Varier, as the demand for home office chairs increased dramatically. Yet, Leif wants the company to go even further. “We want to become more visible in the market and reach those who are not yet aware of our ergonomic solutions,” he explains.

“With our heritage as inspiration, we want to continue to spark innovation within the furniture industry and continue to set people in motion—even while they sit.”

Instagram / @varierfurniture varierfurniture.com 40

Localfolk Norway

Chair Collection / Gravity

Localfolk Magazine

41

House of Creation Choreographing atmospheres

Oda Olafsrud established herself as an architect and designer in New York. Now she’s bringing her interdisciplinary, collaborative practice back home to Oslo, with her agency, House of Creation.

“As architects, we can forget how much more there is to buildings than the structure of what’s built. What we really live in are the interiors, their materiality, light, and form, the things we touch and feel.”

Oda Olafsrud wants to shine a light on the interdisciplinary heart of her architectural practice.

For the CEO of the architectural design agency, House of Creation, inspiration comes from where architecture merges with the forms and textures of design, fashion, art, and even dance, a discipline in which she’s trained.

That training is partly why Oda describes her current work as “choreographing atmospheres”. Yet, that’s

42

Localfolk Norway

also a mission statement that helps her attend to the movements, rhythms, textures, and moods of the spaces she creates, not just the four walls. “Architecture always makes us feel something,” she explains, “and as an architectural designer, I’m interested in how we can curate spaces and ambiences that are healing, that make people feel differently.”

The Oslo-based architect had her first opportunity to put her ideas into action in New York, when, straight out of university, she was commissioned to fully renovate the Germanotta Residence in Manhattan.

The result was a dreamy, sophisticated space with a tangible Scandinavian influence. But, as Oda admits, it was quite a risk for a new graduate.

“It was much less safe than just joining an architectural firm,” she says. But it did give her the chance to handle a whole project alone, “from the macro to the micro,” Images / Alice Gao Words / Charlie Jarvis

Localfolk Magazine

43

44

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

45

46

Localfolk Norway

from the concept to the practicalities of managing subcontractors and leaky facades. “I wouldn’t change it for anything. That experience, merging disciplines and practices, gave me what I needed to start my own architectural practice.”

Part of Oda’s success during that project was a commitment to collaboration, a value that inspired House of Creation. Oda used the Germanotta Residence to showcase design works by female creators. As she explains, “I didn’t want the project to be just about what I could contribute. Instead, I really value enabling other women to showcase their design. There’s a beauty in using your opportunities to highlight other people’s work.”

Images / Oda Olafsrud

This spirit of collaboration will be central to House of Creation’s next steps. “As well as working with designers in the UK, Germany, and Scandinavia and the US, I’m opening a showroom in Oslo where clients can come to see my work, alongside vintage items and bespoke pieces from collaborators,” Oda tells us.

Yet, in supporting female talent, Oda is also aiming for something bigger—to shake up a system still largely dominated by men. “I’d love to break down this ‘norm’, for the benefit of architecture. With so many techniques and cultures out there, if we want spaces to be different and unique, diversity has to come first.”

Instagram / @houseofcreation.no houseofcreation.no Localfolk Magazine

47

48

Localfolk Norway

Facing Image / A-lab treat the ‘urban floor’—outside and inside—as one. In this new private university in Oslo’s old town, the pulse from outside is drawn into a public space in the building’s ground floor.

A-lab Architects

Designing innovative and people-friendly cities For two decades, A-lab has been transforming the face of Norwegian architecture.

Thanks to its unique culture and its focus on the users of tomorrow, the studio is ready to shape urban change for decades to come.

Image / A-lab Words / Charlie Jarvis

Localfolk Magazine

49

“W

e are not an office of ‘big names’,” Julie Sjøwall Oftedal, a partner at A-lab, one of Scandinavia’s foremost architecture studios, says proudly. “In many architecture firms, there’s this master figure—a guru who shows others how things ‘should’ be done. A-lab is not like that. Instead, our studio was built to be a place where the best idea is used, no matter who or where it comes from. That’s part of why none of our buildings ever look alike.”

A-lab—that’s architectural laboratory—was founded in 2000 by two young architects, Geir Haaversen and Odd Klev, to be a studio that did something different. It would, for one thing, encourage all its team members and collaborators to bring their own unique expertise to the table. Yet, it’s approach to design would be different too. It wouldn’t create places simply to complement the present urban fabric. Instead, A-lab strives to make its places “future-proof ”—by working to understand the needs of the users of the future.

This approach has borne results. Twenty years on, A-lab is recognised as one of the most innovative architectural studios in Scandinavia, having designed some of Norway’s most iconic contemporary buildings and neighbourhoods. However, their focus is on the improvements they can bring to users’ quality of life, where the building’s form is only part of it.

“The master plan of Barcode and Bjørvika, Oslo’s central business district, is one of our personal favourites,” Julie tells us. “We’re incredibly proud of the residential neighbourhoods we planned in Kristiansand, in Kjelsås, and in Moss, too. We love to work at different scales. So, while we’re part of some of the biggest urban plans in Norway right now, we still produce works like the solar cell trees that you find across Oslo.”

Even for those smallest projects, an astonishing level of coordination goes into A-lab's work. The studio handles everything from the initial spatial analysis to the refinement of the tiniest final touches. As Julie explains, “To connect the dots that form the bigger picture, we’ve expanded our crew to include social 50

Localfolk Norway

Images / Oslo S Utvikling -Ivan Brodey With a plot that is only four to ten metres wide, the meeting rooms in The Wedge are cantilevered on the outside of the building. The project has drawn international attention for its brickwork. The bar on the ground floor connects the building to the pulse of the city.

Bottom Image / Masterplan by A-lab, Dark and MRDV.

Localfolk Magazine

51

52

scientists, urbanists, landscape architects, interior designers and technologists. For us, interdisciplinary collaboration is the only way to really understand a space and its users."

So, what makes a space good for people? For A-lab, the notion of “meetings” or “interaction” is crucial.

Meetings can be about business and the exchange of ideas. But a good meeting—particularly one that’s unplanned—is central to all social life. As Julie explains, "we planned Kanalbyen in Kristiansand to bring together different demographics in a destination for recreation for the whole city.

Similarly, in Kjelsåsveien, we designed a residential district that used the walls of houses to create outdoor spaces for community interactions. Really, it’s through those interactions that a sense of identity and belonging can be built. Any well-designed space should encourage them.”

Yet, there is something else about Kjelsåsveien that Julie is proud of: its palette, which A-lab developed by scanning colours from local buildings and combining them with colours from Oslo’s historical architecture. “That expertise started with a single architect—my colleague, Line Musæus. She believes colour will be particularly important in creating humane spaces in the future—and a good idea in A-lab is always rooted for!”

Top Image / Ivan Brody A solar charging station offers electricity for everything from mobile phones to electric bikes.

It also serves as a little meeting place, inspired by the traditional village tree.

Left Image / Jean-Pierre Mesinele.

The wooden cladding in this dwelling at Nesodden has been burnt—an innovation inspired by an ancient Japanese method called, yakisugi. This makes the wood sustainable and reduces maintenance.

A-lab’s founders have always encouraged to think big, Julie tells us, even when working on something completely new. It’s this mindset that’s behind one of A-lab’s biggest realized projects to date: the regeneration of Bjørvika and Bispevika, Oslo’s old container port. A-lab has helped to completely transform the area into a mixed-use residential, business, and lifestyle district. To do this, the studio created a plan based on what it calls the area’s “urban floor”—a strategy of an indoor and outdoor space that would ensure activity on ground level round the clock. This way, the people of Oslo could use the entire area of the new neighbourhood—once more, to enable new interactions.

Oslo’s is growing explosively, and A-lab is at the heart of some of its central developments.

Localfolk Magazine

53

Image / Lisa Mari Bynes. In Kristiansand, A-lab’s development of the old harbour is a destination for recreation for the population of the whole city.

Image / J.B Ugland. In a user survey, the people of Kristiansand emphasised the variety of architecture as a key feature of what makes Kanalbyen attractive.

Through Galleri Oslo, for example, they are connecting central Oslo to the city’s east.

Meanwhile, in Oslo Science City, they’re facilitating value creation in what will become Norway’s new innovation district. Whatever the project, Julie emphasises, A-lab’s priority is to identify and respect the qualities that already exist in the area. How can these be given room for growth? What can be reused? And how can areas be built so that they can be altered for other purposes in the future?

Now, a natural next step for the studio is to look abroad. “We’ve been busy with competitions in France, and a partner opened A-lab’s first studio

in Portugal some years back,” Julie explains. “We’re also now a partner in Include, an international research programme investigating the social impact of increasing urban density.”

As such, A-lab might be spreading its wings across Europe, but it’s determined to keep in touch with its core values—and its people. “We do feel that we have something to contribute. But just as importantly, it’s our eagerness to learn that drives us to create something new.”

Instagram / @alab_architects a-lab.no Right Image / Espen Grønli Creating both communal and private spaces between houses, A-lab seeks to build a sense of community in new neighbourhoods. The colour palette in Kjelsåsveien is developed from historic local colours.

54

Localfolk Norway

56

Localfolk Norway

An anthropological design studio Aula

Sara and Marie founded Aula in 2017 as a design studio informed by the cultural and social—the anthropological—dimensions of spaces and the objects within them. Since then, they have remained committed to their values and their investigation into “the relationship between people, space, and objects” .

“For one project, we did a lot of research into ornamentation,” Sara Gretteberg—one half of the interior design studio, Aula—tells me when we speak over video call.

“We found that, in the past, people would engrave patterns into almost everything, down to the smallest butter knife. Why? To us, it seemed that this practice demonstrated the value of everyday objects to all sorts of normal people throughout—and how we always inscribe meaning into the places in which we live.”

Sara and Marie Sagen are the two minds behind Aula, the interior design studio they founded in 2017. Together, they describe what they do as “anthropological” design.

Images / Aula Words / Charlie Jarvis

Localfolk Magazine

57

It’s a term that shapes the thoughtful, philosophical, almost academic language they use—and that provides the central tenet of their methodology, which focuses on the relationship between “people, space, and objects”.

“For us, it means taking a broader view of a space and its design,” Sara explains. “When working with clients, we want to move beyond simple questions like ‘what colours or furniture do you like?’ Instead, we want to ask, ‘who is the client? what language and cultural symbols are relevant to them? How do they navigate their public and private roles?’ We use anthropology to unpeel this cultural onion, so to speak.”

This approach means that no two spaces that Aula designs are ever the same. “We’re not known for a single aesthetic—and we like that. Aesthetics as a function are connected to the perception of self and the position of oneself in the world. They reflect the ways we or our clients give meaning to spaces.”

Sara and Marie’s diverse training has given Aula the tools with which to unpeel this onion. Sara studied design at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, while Marie completed postgraduate training in anthropology in Copenhagen. But it was when working together for a Danish design firm that they decided to form Aula.

58

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

59

Left Image / Øyvind Halsøy

60

Localfolk Magazine

61

“We had been working in the same office for two to three years and were both like, what’s next? The answer was Aula.”

Since that decision, Aula’s work has spanned product design, interior architecture, set design, and exhibitions—including Preg, the recent project that saw the two designers delve into the cultural history of ornamentation and create their own products based on traditional Norwegian designs.

“The two of us are really different—different backgrounds, different perspectives, different tastes!”

Sara says. “But that’s a strength that always makes us try these new things. This way, we can test and challenge each other as we work. It’s a really dynamic approach, in which we’re always pushing each other to find new solutions.”

Yet, what they do have in common is their values.

“We’re continually wrestling with this paradox of living a simple, honest, and good life while wanting to do more, to grow and do better. A successful company doesn’t necessarily mean handling large revenues. Instead, we should adjust the perception of value.”

is threatening the traditional crafts and knowledges that have grown here forever. Instead, we see local production as something we should actively support, despite the challenges.”

This conviction shapes the methods behind Aula’s product design. But it is just as important for the way they approach interior design too.

“During the design process, after we’ve understood our client’s position and needs, we work to find the materials, furniture, and customized solutions that work in the overall space. For those solutions, we strive to use only local production, along with durable materials that last.”

In this way, we come to the central value around which Aula defines their operations: leve tilstedeværende, or, in English, “living presence”. For Sara and Marie, this is a remedy against the “chase for renewal” which drives our culture. Rather than rushing to acquire new things, Sara says, we should attend to what is present before us, care for it, and make it last.

One value that should be reassessed, Sara says, is economic efficiency.

“Ultimately, we want to start a conversation about the meaning of our homes, public spaces, and the things with which we surround ourselves—from the interior architecture to the ornaments on butter knives. In a world intent on renewal, we need to step back and see these differently.”

“We made a decision quite early on that all of our products would be made in Norway. Production often moves to places like Asia because it’s cheaper—but this

Instagram / @osloaula osloaula.no

62

Localfolk Norway

Facing Image / Øyvind Halsøy

Localfolk Magazine

63

64

Localfolk Norway

Kubik Interior Architects Creativity, colour, and sustainability in interior design

Based in the centre of Oslo, Kubik Interior Architects has established itself as one of the most innovative interior architecture firms in the city. It’s secret? Experience, a hands-on approach, and a commitment to the needs of the client.

Image / Einar Aslaksen Words / Kai Isaksen

Localfolk Magazine

65

66

Localfolk Norway

A

fter respective roles in Barcelona and London, Pia Sand and Hege Liven met while working for the Norwegian architect Niels Torp. Instantly feeling a connection—shared values, shared experiences, and share interests and ambitions—the two interior architects decided to start their own company. Nine years later, Kubik Interior Architects is still going strong.

towards working from home, people realise they need face-to-face interaction in order to be really creative, and we aim to give people new ways of interacting and communicating with each other.”

So, how does Kubik approach design?

“First, we start with an insight phase,” Pia explains. “This is where we want to understand “Some interior architects are focused on placing the customer and their needs, budget, their stamp on a project, so that one can always and time frame. Then there’s what we call recognise who the architect is,” Pia and Hege tell conceptualisation. This is where we involve Localfolk. “For us at Kubik, we actually do the the customer in workshops to discuss different opposite—and that’s a big part of our success. concepts and ideas, and we often use 3D We design solutions based on the real needs of drawings and floor plans to visualise the ideas to the customer, rather than imposing our own the customer.” identity on the final design. That design should tell a story about the customer, and visitors Finally, having agreed on the concept, Kubik should recognise which company it is based on gets to work detailing the final design and plans the premises they visit.” for implementation—detailing colours and materials as well as writing documentation and Over the years, Kubik has completed major agreeing details with contractors. projects for clients including Porsche, the restaurant chain Bølgen & Moi, and the Grand “It is important to underline that we have a very Hotel in Egersund—project to which Pia and hands-on approach and stay with the customer Hege have always brought their diverse stylistic throughout the entire implementation phase, approach. But has there been a favourite client? sometimes even pitching in to carry lamps or hanging up curtains to make everything perfect,” “Every client has been a favourite!” says Hege. Hege says, laughing. “And while I wouldn’t go as “We invest so much time and effort into each far as calling us management consultants, we do project that we almost get withdrawal symptoms have an influence on work process design and when we finish each one!” internal communications in the customers we work with too. We get very involved!”

Yet, the two designers are really serious about what they do. “Our objective is to make our In addition to new ways of working and customers’ facilities more colourful, creative, communicating, Hege and Pia also stress another and effective, and a better place to be both aspect of their philosophy: sustainability. Gone creative and feel relaxed and supported,” Pia are the days when one could just throw out says—explaining how they want to design entire interior furnishings. Rather, sustainability, meeting spaces where new ideas can develop, recycled furniture, and conscious design elements and innovation can thrive. “Despite the trend have become a key aspect of how Kubik works.

Image / Einar Aslaksen

Localfolk Magazine

67

68

Localfolk Norway

Image / Oda Hveem

Left Image / Kjetil Gudem

Localfolk Magazine

69

70

Localfolk Norway

/ Kjetil Gudem 71 LocalfolkImage Magazine

“Sometimes we may reuse entire sets of furniture and sometimes we incorporate elements or parts of existing features. This helps to make it recognisable and to contribute to reduced consumption and waste,” they explain.

Initially, Kubik was just Pia and Hege—and they were adamant that it would stay that way. But after the first six years, the designers hired a new addition: a student they had been assessors for at Høyskolen Kristiania (Kristiania University College). “We were pretty sure we could do everything by ourselves. But when Ole Torp called and asked whether we needed someone, we just could not turn him down!” says Hege. “Having Ole here has brought so many new ideas.”

Despite a relatively small team, Kubik thrives in large projects that require innovative work processes. “Our work is highly network-based, and we can draw on experienced resources from other companies that we know well and trust,” they explain. They share office space with several other companies that provide supplementary services and skills. This way, they can live according to their own gospel of creativity, colour, and sustainability.

Instagram / @kubik_interior kubik.no 72

Localfolk Norway

Images / Einar Aslaksen

74

Localfolk Norway

Aurora Verksted

Collective arts for people and the planet

Aurora Verksted was founded to give people with disabilities care and meaningful employment in design, crafts, fashion, and art. Over thirty years later, the social cooperative remains dedicated to its people—and to creating quality, sustainable products.

Images / Camilla Reinfjell Words / Charlie Jarvis

Localfolk Magazine

75

“W

e started the enterprise over thirty years ago, at a time when people with disabilities were largely invisible and weren’t really given opportunities for growth. The work they would be offered—if they were offered any—was repetitive and fairly unrewarding.

We instead wanted to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to be professional adults—proper workers with dignity and recognised skills.”

who left a career in the fashion industry to join the social cooperative as a design manager. When we sit down to chat, they tell us how incredibly proud they are of what the cooperative has achieved.

Today, Aurora Verksted designs, produces, and sells high-quality crafts, clothing, jewellery, and ceramics. These are designed and created in the brand’s studio space in Bærum, Greater Oslo, and then sold in the city centre at their storefront, Respekt/Aurora, in Majorstuen. Yet, the social cooperative is still largely doing what it was set up to do in 1987: to provide meaningful work for people with severe disabilities.

So, what’s behind Aurora’s success?

We’re talking to Trine Dreyer, Aurora’s founder and creative director, and Anne Gro Fjeldheim, 76

Localfolk Norway

“For the people with disabilities we work with, for their families, and for all our staff and colleagues, it’s been lifechanging,” Trine tells us.

“That’s all there is to say about that.”

“We’re both an accredited care provider and a design brand that’s recognised for its quality and values,” Anne Gro explains—highlighting Aurora’s unique business model. “But mostly we’re a great place to work. We’ve often used the words ‘love’, ‘creativity’, and ‘responsibility’ to explain what we do. ‘Love’ is what gives us the energy for our care work, ‘creativity’ drives our design and business growth, and ‘responsibility’ is the value that brings these together.”

Localfolk Magazine

77

78

Localfolk Norway

Yet, alongside their commitment to these values, there is something else that has contributed to Aurora’s success. That’s timeliness and foresight.

“When we started Aurora, ideas of sustainability and social responsibility were not really in vogue,” Trine tells us. “But suddenly it feels that we speak and people listen. These days, fast fashion is in trouble, ideas of craft and creating quality are more popular than ever, and everyone is talking about the environment.

“This is what we’ve been doing for years!” Trine laughs. “Too many businesses tell you how good they are, but we’ve really been doing it since the beginning.”

Over the decades, all of Aurora’s business decisions have been informed by the brand’s values of “people and planet”. Before 2001, Aurora was simply a care provider for the Bærum municipality. But, in Trine’s words, “to be regarded as a true place of work, we needed to be something more—we needed to reach another level.” And so Trine relaunched Aurora as a social cooperative mutually owned by the colleagues.

Since then, the team has refined its design techniques to make products that would last, and whose design and craftsmanship would respect and adapt to the abilities of the workers.

“We work with our colleagues’ abilities, not their disabilities,” Anne Gro says, “and so we design all of our pieces to reflect and enhance what our colleagues can do.”

Ten years later—now with over a hundred staff—Aurora opened its shop Respekt/Aurora in central Oslo. Then, in 2015, the team launched a slow fashion line, Studio Re-, that focuses on sustainable womenswear. This signalled a big change for the cooperative as, for the first time, some of Aurora’s products were not made in-house. Rather, their supply chains now stretched from stockists of Harris tweed and Liberty cotton in the UK to socially responsible producers in Romania and Vietnam.

Localfolk Magazine

79

80

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

81

“Many people hear what we do and assume we produce things that don’t require much skill. But that’s not us at all. We need to focus on quality, so that we can all be proud of what we do.”

“Across the supply chain, quality, professionalism, and sustainability are the focus,” Anne Gro says.

“Many people hear what we do and assume we produce things that don’t require much skill. But that’s not us at all. Across all of our work—from our workshop to our outsourced production— we need to focus on quality, so that we can all be proud of what we do.”

We ask Trine and Anne Gro what’s next for Aurora. Their response is a characteristic mix of business vision and environmental consciousness.

“Before I retire, I’ve dreamed of cooperating with other like-minded businesses abroad, maybe in London—to recognise that wonderful 82

Localfolk Norway

shared northern Atlantic tradition we have between Norway and the UK,” Trine says. “And I’d love to see local textile production become reestablished across Norway too.”

Yet, business expansion is not their first priority.

“It’s not good for the environment to be too big,” Anne Gro says. “Instead, we’d like to be recognised for what we do. So, firstly, we’ll take it slowly and we’ll grow and we’ll do good things. And we’ll just keep on working to better ourselves, our work, and our world.”

Instagram / @auroraverksted aurora-verksted.no

Localfolk Magazine

83

Thorsønn

Bespoke furniture design by local craftspeople

Thorsønn began with producing custom furniture for its interior architecture clients. Now, with an established network of local producers, its commitment to traditional craftwork, and a thrilling made-toorder furniture collection, the design brand has opened their doors to the public.

When we sit down to chat over video call with Jennifer and Halvor Thorsen—the husband-and-wife design duo behind the furniture brand, Thorsønn—they are sat in their showroom on Marisdalsveien, Oslo.

“It’s been a long road,” Jennifer says. “It’s always been a dream to have a showroom. But when we opened it in December 2019, we obviously had to close again because of the pandemic. Now we finally have a place where we can meet our customers. They can book a meeting to stop in and drink a coffee while they see our furniture in person. It’s just really wonderful!”

The incredible, joyful thing about talking to Jennifer and Halvor is their real enthusiasm for what they do—and their desire to share it. Between interruptions from the couple’s curious dog and a knock at their showroom door, they proudly show me around their space and talk me through what Thorsønn has been up to since they founded the design brand in 2013.

“We like to say that Designers’ Saturday was our official public ‘debut’, back in 2015,” Halvor says. “But already then, we had a sofa, a dining sofa, a bed, and a lounge chair. Thorsønn really began a little earlier, with Ull & Tre, our lounge sofa.”

84

Localfolk Norway

Images / Elisabeth Aarhus Words / Charlie Jarvis

Localfolk Magazine

85

“We’re aware of where our wood and materials are coming from, we design and make everything in Norway, and we’re really close to everyone involved in the production. This is how we want to continue making furniture into the future.”

88

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

89

90

Localfolk Norway

This sofa, equipped with drawers underneath, came into being as a project for the couple’s family home, they explain. Jennifer, an interior architect, and Halvor, an industrial designer, couldn’t find a sofa with storage that they wanted on the market—and so they built one themselves. Once it was complete, a client requested the sofa, and then a friend. Then, one thing led to another and Thorsønn was born.

“We thought that if we wanted it, maybe others would too,” Jennifer continues. “Sure enough, when we started Thorsønn, there was so much interest! The sofa has now evolved as a response to different client requests—it has a side table with an integrated power outlet, a floor pillow that fits onto the table as an extra seat, and a range of different woods or textiles. We have a close relationship with all our buyers and each sofa is made to order. We’re really not a mass-production company!”

Now, at this year Designers’ Saturday—six years after their debut—Thorsønn were invited to exhibit their products at the National Museum alongside Norwegian brands they greatly admire, like Fjordfiesta and LK Hjelle.

What is the process behind Thorsønn’s products? That’s another thing of which Jennifer and Halvor are proud.

“Well, Jennifer usually has the great ideas and then I do the details of the designs,” Halvor explains. “Then the production is all done locally. Everything gets built about an hour from Oslo, so we can go and discuss details with the carpenters or the upholsterers. This is something really important to us.”

Yet, in recent years, Thorsønn’s practice has shifted emphasis a little.

“Now, we’re working to cut back on waste,” Jennifer explains. “That means using waste wood in our furniture and scraps and offcuts from fabric rolls. For example, our scrap accessories collection is all made from postproduction waste fabrics, from our own production and from a local fashion house, Lillunn. It’s a completely different way of working when you use scrap material.

Each piece is carefully curated and unique—but it’s a funny contradiction, because when products are made with waste, they actually have a higher value than if they were made from new materials!”

Finally, we ask what Thorsønn’s plans are for the future— and they laugh.

“The thing is,” Halvor says, “we’re designers, not salespeople. We are driven by our products and our projects.”

“We want to continue working with post-production waste,” Jennifer adds. “When you are creating new pieces that will be in the world you have a responsibility to do it in a sustainable way. We’re aware of where our wood and materials are coming from, we design and make everything in Norway, and we’re really close to everyone involved in the production. This is how we want to continue making furniture into the future.”

Instagram / @thorsonn thorsonn.com Localfolk Magazine

91

Multiform Studio Oslo Creating bespoke kitchens by hand

From their central location in Bygdøy Alle in Oslo, the experts at Multiform Studio create bespoke handcrafted kitchens made to an extraordinary standard of luxury. Multiform’s staff are not just highly competent architects and interior designers, but people passionate about delivering practical, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing kitchens to every customer.

92

Localfolk Norway

Images / Multiform Words / Kai Isaksen

Localfolk Magazine

93

94

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

95

96

Localfolk Norway

M

ultiform began in 1982 in Aarhus, Denmark, when designer and furniture carpenter Carsten Michelsen created Form 1. This was a piece of kitchen furniture—characterised by large wooden frames— that combined robustness with elegance.

Danish furniture design from the fifties and sixties emphasised handicraft, materials, and design that would give life to the furniture for generations.

Multiform has incorporated the best of these elements into their philosophy when creating bespoke kitchen solutions.

“Sustainability is absolutely a key element in how we think about kitchens,” Trine L. Brenna, from the Multiform studio on Bygdøy Alle,Oslo,tells Localfolk.

“All quality furniture should be sustainable—in the sense of using the best, responsibly sourced materials and being built to last.”

Using only durable, high-quality materials, Multiform’s bespoke units transform kitchens from ordinary rooms into architectural centrepieces. All the kitchens from Multiform bear certain hallmarks: smooth lines, beautiful surfaces, and razor-sharp edges—as well as dowels, dovetails, mortise and tenons that ensure the pieces last longer.

Yet, perhaps the most characteristic element of Multiform’s kitchens is their uniqueness. Each one is designed specifically for the customer’s space and requirements.

“If you want a Multiform kitchen, you’ll need to come into our store in Bygdøy Alle,” Trine says. “This can take some time, so we recommend customers have the space in their schedule to give it their full attention!”

Localfolk Magazine

97

“Sustainability is absolutely a key element in how we think about kitchens.”

During this time, the customer will be talked through the various options and plans—while measurements will be studied in detail to decide the optimal kitchen solution for each customer. Often, the design process will include a home visit, too, before the design is completed. Then, the piece will be produced in Denmark from specially selected wood from a family-owned sawmill in Austria before it is shipped to Norway for installation.

“Ordering a bespoke Multiform kitchen really is an experience,” Trine tells us. “And it is really important that each customer feels welcome and involved throughout the design process.”

Instagram / @multiformoslo multiform.no 98

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

99

100

Localfolk Norway

David-Andersen

Norwegian jewellery of timeless grace The idioms of Scandinavian design—its emphasis on the beauty inherent in simplicity, its realisation of the interplay between form and function—has become ubiquitous in recent years. However, all concepts and styles have their origins. When it comes to Norwegian jewellery, the century and a half of excellence upheld by the craftspeople of the David-Andersen company simply cannot be overlooked.

Images / Ulla Westbø & Julie Pike Words / Benjamin Norris

Localfolk Magazine

101

102

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

103

F

ounded in 1876 by Mr. David-Andersen, the Oslo-based jewellery house remains a reliable choice for customers seeking sophisticated, meticulously designed, and beautifully crafted, items of fine jewellery. With enthusiasts up and down the country and a peerless range of handpicked gemstone pieces, decorative enamel items, and fine silverware, David-Andersen’s jewellers face a tricky balancing task: to reflect and pay homage to 150 years of heritage and distinction, while simultaneously looking to bold new futures.

Localfolk caught up with gemmologist and jewellery designer, Hallvar Sagøy, to discuss the glittering past, radiant present, and sparkling future of this hugely distinguished Oslo brand.

“David-Andersen has changed a lot since 1876, and recent decades saw a significant change in strategy,” Hallvar explains, pointing out that the brand used to be, in many ways, a far bigger operation that took care of design for a number of different partners. “Today, the brand aims more for the exclusive market, and is focusing on producing its own designs rather than working for anybody else.”

Several aspects of the jewellery brand, which once boasted the largest jewellery store in Scandinavia (the flagship store that still stands at Oslo’s Karl Johan’s Gate), remain gloriously intact. David-Andersen—like so many heritage brands—remains very much a family business, today in its fifth generation of owners. The brand values, too, remain unchanged from their lofty nineteenth-century ideals. “Tradition, knowledge and passion are the company values.

That, and a team of employees who have a devoted love for the company—and for the jewellery business as a whole”.

When speaking about the inspiration for his beautiful items of fine jewellery, Hallvar is quick to recognise the weight of history behind his designs.

104

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

105

106

Localfolk Norway

“I’ve been with David-Andersen for eleven years, and we’re always seeking out new ways to elevate artisanship for a new generation. However, we are fortunate enough to have a huge archive collection to draw inspiration from.”

It’s an archive of stunning gemstones and exquisite enamels—and it isn’t hard to understand how such craftsmanship easily supersedes the whims of jewellery fashions. Indeed, as Hallvar mentions: “handcrafted jewellery and handselected gemstones have a truly timeless quality.”

It’s impossible in 2021 to talk to any brand about the future without mentioning the elephantsized pandemic in the room. Has COVID-19 affected business for David-Andersen, as it has done for so many others? Hallvar is adamant that there have only been upsides.

“The pandemic has only brought positive challenges,” Hallvar insists. “People aren’t going out to eat, they aren’t spending their money on travel. Instead, they’ve been looking to create lasting memories with jewellery, seeing them as safe investments, and as gifts for those closest to them.”

Indeed, it’s been a period of serious growth for David-Andersen. The brand, which already

expanded outside of Oslo to open its seventh showroom in Bergen, is planning to imminently open its eighth in Trondheim, where it feels its values and timeless quality will fit seamlessly into the burgeoning luxury scene the city is embracing.

As for other aspects of David-Andersen’s future, Hallvar mentions that the brand has been in recent years reaching out to a more youthful audience with more affordable silver jewellery, securing a dedicated audience for the decades to come. His pride in his work is palpable, and when asked about his proudest achievement in recent years, he ponders over the brand’s topselling items before giving a definitive answer: “a five-carat diamond ring, finished and sold this year”.

Hallvar and the entire team at David-Andersen have every right to be proud. They safeguard an ongoing heritage of the best in Norwegian design, combining the utmost in luxury with a truly distinctive approach to beauty and style.

Long may it continue.

Instagram / @david_andersen david-andersen.no

Localfolk Magazine

107

Moltzau Packaging

Sustainable packaging solutions

Moltzau Packaging is a family-owned company specialising in innovative, environmentally friendly packaging solutions. With their new FlowerLine packaging, they aim to revolutionise the flower market—transforming how flowers are stored and transported from production to the end customer.

108

Localfolk Norway

Image / Erik Faukland Words / Kai Isaksen

Moltzau Packaging can trace its origins back to the 1800s. Yet the soul of the current company was born again in 2018, when the owners moved to a new purpose-built facility in Skedsmokorset. From its new home, the company has developed one of Scandinavia’s most modern production facilities for fibre-based packaging—and the company’s forty-five skilled employees ensure Moltzau is well-placed to lead the way in Norway’s growing circular economy.

FSC-verified sustainable forests in Sweden, and all other raw materials they use, such as wax, are natural and verified sustainable.

“With the world looking more and more to replace plastic products and packaging with environmentally and sustainable alternatives, our innovative carton fibrebased solutions can provide the answer,” says Christin Faukland-Martinsen, who owns Moltzau together with her husband Lars Christian.

Moltzau Packaging has also been in the forefront of innovation with their CEFAPAC solutions, for which they have been awarded the very prestigious Scan Star and World Star recognitions. CEFAPAC provides a plastic-free solution for blister packaging and is easy to open as well as functional and appropriate for the individual product.

Moltzau Packaging has worked in the market for packaging for fruit and vegetables all over Europe and has built strong competency in designing packaging solutions that look good, keep products fresh, and— perhaps most importantly—cut down on waste.

“If you look at how most products are packaged today, there is so much unnecessary plastic. This could be replaced with more environmentally-friendly solutions,” Christin says.

One area that the company is revolutionising is carton fibre-based flowerpots, through their new line FlowerLine—By nature for nature.

“Traditional black plastic flowerpots can be harmful for the environment due to problems during the recycling process, and the industry have been trying to tinker with the existing pots to come up with other colours for these plastic pots,” Christin explains.

Yet, that is not how Moltzau approaches the issue of sustainability.

Rather, designed to stay with the flower from production all the way to the end consumer, the FlowerLine pots deliver everything current plastic pots offer in a much more sustainable way. Their raw carton is sourced from

But in addition to being efficient and environmentally friendly, Moltzau’s pots also look good. That means many customers will choose not to replant the flowers into separate pots, but rather display the stylish FlowerLine product.

With their state-of-the-art facilities, there are few limitations to what Moltzau Packaging can produce for their clients.

“When a customer contacts us with a product for which they need packaging solutions, we need to consider how the packaging will look, as well as how the products will be stacked both in transport and on shop shelves, and how it will be disposed of towards the end of the lifecycle,” Christin explains. “Yet sustainability remains at the heart of everything we do.”

Working with Moltzau means working closely with the best people in the packaging business—and the people that are pushing the boundaries in the sustainable revolution.

Instagram / @moltzaupackaging Facebook / @emballasje moltzau.no Instagram / @by_flowerline Facebook / @byflowerline flowerline.no cefapac.com Localfolk Magazine

109

Gallery Nobel

Celebrating twenty-six years of contemporary art

110

Localfolk Norway

A

n art gallery and frame workshop situated in the heart of Oslo, Gallery Nobel features Norwegian and international contemporary artists. With a beautiful gallery space, an extensive online collection, and free art consultations, their passionate team strives to make art accessible to the masses.

Located in the heart of Oslo, just a stone’s throw from The Royal Palace, Gallery Nobel is still going strong.

Gallery owner Vanessa Villfrance Dann started the gallery at just twenty years old and has been at the helm ever since—becoming a permanent fixture in the Oslo gallery and art scene.

During its twenty-six-year history, Gallery Nobel has showcased a wide selection of paintings and graphics from well-known artists as well as rising talent.

Gallery Manager Randi Ringnes and the rest of the team have successfully adopted a varied curatorial method that caters to a diverse customer base. This includes abstract art, figurative art, pop art, and more traditional art—only to name a few.

Alongside their public exhibitions, Gallery Nobel has always offered complimentary, obligation-free personalised art consultations in homes and businesses to help people find the perfect artwork for their style, space, and budget. Art and Interior Design Specialist, Ingvild Holtan, has offered customised expert advice to Gallery Nobel’s customers for over ten years. She visits customers all over the greater Oslo region with artworks they’ve selected. “The art consultations give “We have a wide selection because our customer base customers the chance to try out the art in-person in is varied. Gallery visitors are looking for all kinds of their homes before they make a decision,” Randi says. things, so we want to offer a wide range of art styles,” “This is a unique opportunity to see the artwork on says Randi. your own wall at home and to get a feel for it in your own space before you purchase.”

Randi shared with Localfolk that they have longrunning partnerships with established artists, and Every member of the Gallery Nobel team has also like to support up-and-coming artists. “This either a background in art history, art and culture summer alone, we worked with three to four new management, art education and interior design or else artists, in addition to the many who have been with us personal experience as an artist, and they love to share throughout our twenty-six years in operation.” Most their knowledge and expertise with customers. recently, they held an exhibition with Dutch-Italian neo-pop artist Selwyn Senatori.

Images / Gallery Nobel Words / Maria Vole

Localfolk Magazine

111

112

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

113

“There’s a wonderful, tight-knit community in the art scene here in Oslo. At the end of the day, it’s all about the art and everyone is committed to supporting the artists.”

114

Localfolk Norway

“I think art is incredibly important to make a house a home,” Randi says. “The most important thing to us is that the customer is happy with the art they purchase from us. The art will be a part of their home, and will hopefully adorn their wall for years to come.”

Localfolk Magazine

115

116

Localfolk Norway

During the pandemic, they started offering digital art consultations alongside their physical home visits—in order to assist customers from both near and far. Since first-time art buyers often don’t know where to start, the team offers suggestions for the intended space and can even digitally mount the artwork to help customers visualise a particular piece on the wall.

In addition to the physical gallery space in downtown Oslo, Gallery Nobel offers an extensive online collection that enables these consultations. “We find that people appreciate being able to look through the artwork at home to get a better idea of what they might like before stopping by the gallery.” In fact, customers often pull out their phones to show employees a piece that spoke to them online and ask to see it in person.

As a result, the online art gallery not only provides a source of inspiration for local customers, but also helps Gallery Nobel reach art enthusiasts around the world. “We work with international artists and have clients based across the globe, with worldwide shipping available,” says Randi.

The Gallery doesn’t just offer artworks—it also has its own framing workshop which has been in operation since Gallery Nobel first opened

its doors. With a big selection of beautiful frames of varying sizes and styles, the team offers quick and easy framing services— and due to their long-standing working relationship with quality suppliers, customers can take advantage of great discounts.

It is evident that at the centre of Gallery Nobel’s work lies a genuine passion for what they do. The team is committed to promoting the enjoyment of art, and to welcoming newcomers into the community. As such, team members customise their guidance to the needs of each individual, and they are skilled at helping customers identify the pieces that speak to them.

Although Gallery Nobel had to shut its doors to the public during the pandemic and cancel its twenty-fifth anniversary exhibition scheduled for June 2020, Randi mentioned that it was nice to see Oslo’s art community come together during this time of upheaval.

“There’s a wonderful, tight-knit community in the art scene here in Oslo. At the end of the day, it’s all about the art—everyone is committed to supporting the artists.”

Instagram / @gallerinobel gallerinobel.com

Localfolk Magazine

117

Localfolk of Oslo

120 130 136 144 145 146 150

Kaja Gjedebo Design Anne-Britt Kristiansen Gro Mukta Holter Kathrine Lindman Marianne Nygaard Palmberg Rino Larsen KarianneG

152 154 158 160 162 166 172 184

Kari Anne Marstein Plesner Patterns Hanne Biedilæ Dahl-Pedersen Jewellery Toril Kojan Gulset Inger Marie Grini Emil Sollie

120

Localfolk Norway

Jewellery as wearable art

Kaja Gjedebo Design

121

N

orwegian jewellery brand, Kaja Gjebedo Design, is known for its delicately constructed pieces that are suitable for everyday wear. An international hit, KGD products are sold all over Norway, as well as in Germany, Japan, and Russia.

For nearly twenty years, Kaja Gjebedo has been making jewellery informed by her belief that jewellery should not only be expressive and beautiful, but functional. For Kaja, every item should be a miniature sculpture—a little piece of art that you wear on your body. “What stands out to me about jewellery art and design is the opportunity to create something sculptural that is intended to be worn; people can relate to it in a very physical way.”

While Kaja has made a name for herself in the jewellery industry with her brand KGD, her journey to get there was not so straightforward.

After training as a furniture maker and designer, Kaja realised that her true passion was for jewellery.

After years of studying and working abroad, Kaja returned to her native Norway to pursue her jewellery business. Given her familiarity with the cold Norwegian winters, she became increasingly focused on the intersection between style and functionality.

“Jewellery is similar to clothing—you should try it on and feel how it feels on your body. I’m not very interested in creating jewellery that’s supposed to hang on a wall. I want to see people wearing my designs and enjoying them. I think it’s fantastic how jewellery can lift a person. It’s a bit like mascara—the right jewellery can instantly transform an outfit or a look.”

Kaja’s creation process is all about trial and error.

She told us how important it is to experiment and be willing to test different ideas and techniques to see what happens.

122

Localfolk Norway

Images / Aliona Pazdniakova Words / Maria Vole

124

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

125

126

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

127

128

Localfolk Norway

“You have to be prepared to create a lot of ugly things at first—you have to kiss a lot of frogs until you end up with a great design.” For that reason, Kaja rarely has a fixed idea in mind when she works. Rather, she just starts playing around and works through it. “One thing I love about jewellery making is the fact that you can have an idea in the morning and have something to show for it by the evening.”

Kaja also compares her work as a jewellery maker to her previous experience as a furniture designer, recalling that creating a chair was a much longer and more unpredictable process. “Imagine finally sitting down on the chair two months later, only to realise that it’s not very comfortable,” Kaja laughs.

In contrast, she likes that jewellery can be tried on and easily altered during the design process.

Another aspect of jewellery that Kaja appreciates is that the industry is not seasonal. Take the clothing industry, for example, which dedicates all of its resources to finishing a spring collection, only for the line to become irrelevant by the end of the summer. “I think it’s crazy that just a couple of months after clothes hit the stores, they are already on sale.”

When it comes to sustainability, Kaja is conscious of both her environmental impact and social responsibility. She therefore creates high quality pieces that will last and be enjoyed for many years.

Moreover, KGD jewellery is produced at Felicia Design in Thailand, run by Norwegian Vibeke Lyssand, which ensures compliance of ethical, social, and environmental business practices. “I think we should be working for things to have more longevity. We should try to create designs that will remain relevant for years to come.”

Instagram / @kajagjedebodesign kgd.no Facing Image / Kaja Gjedebo by Anne Lise Norheim

Localfolk Magazine

129

Conveying, touching, and connecting through art

Anne-Britt Kristiansen Facing Image / Espen Nersveen Words / Maria Jakobsen

130

Localfolk Magazine

131

F

ull-time painter and photographer Anne-Britt was born and raised in Oslo, but what inspires her art stretches far beyond borders. She finds herself shaped as an artist by her experiences and by her natural tendency to "search for the beautiful in the sad."

For Anne-Britt Kristiansen, the pull towards creativity started early. "When I was young, I often got up at night to draw after I had been sent to bed," she tells us. And that pull has been a consistent force throughout AnneBritt’s whole life.

Led by her own curiosity, Anne-Britt left home at the age of nineteen to explore the world. In the United States, she met an older Russian artist—whose wonderful stories and home full of art books became an important moment on her path to being the artist she is today. Then, after several years working in Norwegian media and TV, she set off for Cuba, this time to meet a political artist. "I had a desire to find out if I was a good photographer—not necessarily whether I could take good photos, technically speaking, but rather if I could take my interactions with people and capture their stories in my photographs."

Left artwork / Andungen, Top artwork / Hvis jeg faller

Localfolk Magazine

133

Artwork / The Messenger

134

Localfolk Norway

This journey marked the start of Anne-Britt's artistic career. She left her full-time media job to study art at Oslo Interdisciplinary Art Institute (DTK), allowing her to explore art as a medium to convey and touch without words. “Only a few days after starting my studies at DTK, I knew art was what I wanted to pursue. I realised that, finally, this is where I was meant to be.”

Anne-Britt credits her multitude of experiences and journeys as elements that have built who she is as an artist. She finds her art to be influenced by the people she has met on her journeys, from former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev, whom she worked for as a photographer, to the Dalai Lama. These people have amplified AnneBritt’s interest in the interactions between people, which shines through in her art.

“The connection between people is my driving force,” she says. That’s why she has also worked with Clowns Without Borders, whose mission is to help children affected by conflict to heal through play. Having always been passionately against injustice, AnneBritt seeks to tell and recreate the stories of diverse people and children through her art.

But her desire to tell stories is mixed with a unique artistic practice. When creating, she's inspired, she says, by her grandchildren's unafraid way of being. As a result, AnneBritt’s artistic practice "follows intuition rather than reason." And, rather than trying to control the medium she works with, she rather lets it guide her. “There are many elements of randomness in the way I work.

What colours am I today? It's all about surrendering yourself, surrendering control, and collaborating more with the paint and the colours."

There’s a lot of emotion captured in AnneBritt’s paintings, often due to a painting’s openness to the viewer’s own interpretation.

“By building my paintings up in layers, painting over things, removing and adding them, I’m able to show fragments or parts of something,” Anne-Britt says.

“The viewer can then find their own meaning in the visual story. I hint at scenes they might remember seeing or experiencing, forgotten moments, or unclear memories. Through using broken and blurred lines, and by rearranging the order of elements, I alternate between the inner and outer experience. It's through this alternation that I find a balance between the abstract and the figurative.”

When asked about her ideal customer, AnneBritt says, “my ideal customer is the person I’m able to touch through my work.” She wants to find and convey the beautiful in the sad—in the things that we think of as different or ugly.

“It’s this search that has become my story, and it’s this story that I want to tell through my art. It’s closely related to my need to convey without words; to recreate, transform, touch.”

She finds pride in many of her artworks, not necessarily because she finds them beautiful, but because they have had the ability to affect people who have emotionally connected with her work.

Although she has held exhibitions in London, Berlin, Oslo and beyond, Anne-Britt, like many of us, still struggles with the fear of failure. “In the future I want to get even braver, take more space, and yell even louder as a female artist. I want to take the doubt of ‘am I really an artist?’ and use it for something positive.”

Instagram / @annebrittkristiansen annebrittkristiansen.com

Localfolk Magazine

135

Exploring interpersonal relationships through art

Gro Mukta Holter

137

A

visual artist specialising in paintings, drawings, and graphical works, Gro Mukta Holter is proud to have built her art career through her own hard work.

Her work is characterised by a strong colour palette which draws upon eastern textile traditions and visual patterns inspired by Japanese wood carvings from the 1700s.

There is no doubt in Gro Mukta Holter’s mind that her background influenced her development as an artist and individual. The visual artist was born in Bangladesh in 1976, at a time when the country was recovering from war. Abandoned as a new-born baby, Gro spent the first year of her life at a children’s home, before she was adopted by a Norwegian couple from Tønsberg—along with an older sister adopted from Korea.

“In the seventies and eighties, everyone around us was a white Norwegian, my parents were atheists and vegetarians, and the result was that I developed this feeling of being different at a very early age,” Gro explains.

This feeling of difference contributed to her early interest in art—and she later decided to combine this passion with her curiosity about biology, identity, and interpersonal relations. “I am an inherently curious person, and I love to explore the possibilities of each painting, to see how I can create a contemporary poetic expression,” she says.

138

Localfolk Norway

In a sense, Gro tells us, art became a way to cope with life’s challenges. Specifically, it was a way to support and bring joy to her mother, who suffered from illness for over twenty years. For Gro it was almost an obsession to cheer her mother up—and as a result she developed into an incredible force of artistic creativity, making clothes and jewellery, designing handbags, drawing, and painting. “I never stopped, and I can still tap into that drive inside of me, even now, eighteen years after her death,” Gro says.

Gro’s work soon gained the attention of others. By the age of fourteen, she had sold her first painting. Then, at sixteen, Gro left home, to go to Oslo to become an artist. Two weeks before handing in her master’s thesis in 2004, her mother died, and her work as an arts student was strongly influenced by themes of mortality and pain.

Gro has stayed true to her dream ever since—yet her thematic concerns have developed. Gro’s art is now largely focused on nature and life cycles, while the motifs that appear in her work are often sensations from dreams that manifest themselves on the canvas.

“In a way, I am focused on science and how the brain works, and I aim to create something that has a meaning beyond itself, beyond the visual image," she explains.

Yet, she underlines that her art is political. She wants to highlight the weak and vulnerable, the child, the Images / Isaia C. Holsæter Words / Kai Isaksen

Localfolk Magazine

139

140

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

141

Instagram / @groholter.no groholter.no

new-born, the complex but beautiful love, the painful longing, the fear of death. As a result, Gro’s paintings touch people deeply, and she tells us often people cry when they see her work.

“I could work full-time just responding to the messages I receive about how my paintings make people feel,” Gro tells us. “Somehow my art seems to open a door to another emotional layer—and complete strangers suddenly tell me their life stories, secrets and aspirations, just like that.”

Gro tells us how humbled she is by these reactions. In fact, it has helped her realise that we are all individuals that cannot completely understand ourselves. It’s a realisation that has become Gro’s most important source of inspiration.

Having worked full-time as an artist now for over a decade, Gro’s advice to aspiring painters is to love your work and follow your intuition and inspiration.

“Being an artist may look like a relaxed life from the outside—late mornings and grandiose vernissages— but the reality is only hard work and high financial risk in the beginning,” she explains.

But Gro is a shining example that hard work pays off.

Having built her business from scratch, she now sells all the work she produces—and there are long waiting lists for commissions.

“In the arts world, tradition has sort of dictated that artists should be humble and grateful to be accepted at some galleries. I’ve always thought that to be completely wrong! Why should someone else earn 142

Localfolk Norway

more than me on my ideas and works that I have created?”

Instead, as an artist and entrepreneur, Gro wants to fully own her own ideas. To this end, she learned how to build her own website early in the noughties— at a time when few Norwegian artists used digital platforms to showcase their work. For Gro, this meant that she could display her art to a wide audience, and she still remembers the feeling when she first shipped art to customers in other parts of the world.

Yet, Gro is quick to mention that for the past few years she has had help from Elsa Einarsdottir, an employee with extensive experience in the art industry.

Elsa manages several hundred of Gro’s paintings at over forty galleries across Norway. “Many people still want to believe that being an artist is living a Bohemian lifestyle, with red wine and late evenings.

We’re actually out there generating jobs and creating considerable economic value for society.”

Gro is fully booked for the next few years and she’s currently working on an exciting book project. In addition, her painting “I row to you” will be used as the cover illustration on Ketil Bjørnstads new poetry book, Båten på fjorden.

“I was really happy when he contacted me,” Gro says, “because the first CD I ever bought was Kari Bremnes singing poetry by Edvard Munch, with music by Ketil Bjørnstad.” Little did she know when sat in her room back home, listening to the music and losing herself in a world of painting, that her art would one day be an inspiration for others too.

Localfolk Magazine

143

Kathrine Lindman

Capturing nature in jewellery

Having once dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, Kathrine has always been interested in the ocean. Yet, this passion led her down an artistic path, where she found ways to intertwine jewellery and life under the sea.

"I think for someone who is interested in the arts, there's an unbelievable number of things you can do," Kathrine Lindman tells us, "So maybe it was a bit of a coincidence that I ended up pursuing jewellery making in the end."

“Before studying arts and craftmanship at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, I grew up in Kristiansund, by the ocean, and have always been fascinated by the ocean's plant and animal life."

This shines through in Kathrine's collections, two of which are called Seashell and Seaweed. Seashell is eighteen years old, while Kathrine launched the Seaweed collection in 2016.

"Nature has the most beautiful shapes," she says, "it’s an artwork in itself."

"It was surreal, and an absolute honour" she says.

Yet, for Kathrine, it was a major moment in her career, that opened several doors, both at home and internationally. Since 2010, Kathrine has worked with, Charon Kransen, a gallerist in New York, with whom she attended New York Jewellery Week—and Kathrine’s jewellery has been displayed in museums and bought by collectors in the United States.

In the future, Kathrine can see herself exploring her current inspirations further. "Working with seaweed has been an exciting process, and I still see plenty of potential for design," she says. But she is also interested in experimenting with multimedia installations using film, music, and images together with her jewellery. “Right now, I’m excited to have been acquired by two Norwegian museums—and I’m looking forward to future exhibitions.”

Instagram / @kathrinelindman kathrinelindman.no

Kathrine's inspiration from nature plays a central role in her design process. "I can take a shape from nature and cast it, and then I’ll keep it as it is or develop it further," she says. Her main material is silver, but she also loves to work with enamels. Having worked with enamel for twenty-five years, Kathrine considers it an exciting material. “You can almost paint with it, and the possibilities for different colour combinations and expressions are endless.”

In 2009, Norway's Ministry of Culture bought a silver and enamel bracelet from Kathrine as a gift for Michelle Obama, in connection with President Barack Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

144

Localfolk Norway

Image / Benedicte Lindman Words / Maria Jakobsen

Marianne Nygaard Palmberg Positivity and nature in abstract art

Abstract painter Marianne Nygaard Palmberg has always been a creative person, but it was only five years ago that she found art to be something she wanted to pursue more seriously. She aims to convey certain moods in her paintings, often inspired by nature, and balances this artistic pursuit with her day job.

It was five years ago that Marianne committed herself to painting. Throughout her life, she has explored her creativity in many ways—through knitting and sewing, for example—but found that painting was the medium she kept returning to.

"I started taking courses to learn more techniques, and I'm now a student at Nydalen Art School where I'm undertaking a two-year long art education," she tells Localfolk. Painting grew from a hobby to a serious pursuit, although she admits it can be hard to find the time while also working as a teacher.

which again shows the inspiration Marianne draws from nature.

"One of the goals with my paintings is that the people viewing them should experience positive emotions— that they're touched." Creating positive emotions is an important aspect of her work. "Art can bring out a range of emotions, but I want to bring out positive ones."

Her goals include finishing her formal art education and finding more time to pursue her artistic career.

She contributes to the upcoming book, The Nordic Art Guide, and hopes to see her art at more exhibitions in the future.

Instagram / @art_by_marianne artbymarianne.no

In the last year, Marianne has started delivering her own courses, one of which includes Paint a Picture in Shades of Blue. Her own art is often inspired by colours found in nature. "I love being in nature," she says, "I often bring a camera and take pictures of things I see—a detail, colour combinations, which inspire me to paint."

Although abstract, Marianne's paintings show a clear inspiration from nature, both in colour and in mood.

“It’s not like I paint what I see, in that sense, but it can often be details such as the atmosphere from a day by the lake or in the mountains that starts a process.”

Details, structures, shapes, and contrasts are important elements of Marianne’s work. “Sometimes one might glimpse certain shapes reminiscent of landscapes,” Image / Marianne Nygaard Palmberg Words / Maria Jakobsen

Localfolk Magazine

145

Rino Larsen

Facing Artwork / Love is in the air

Spreading joy through art

Rino Larsen is an acclaimed artist born and raised in Lillestrøm, just outside of Oslo. His paintings are characterised by strong colours and many layers, some of which may not be obvious at first glance.

“Joy is often regarded as something kitsch in art—which many think should traditionally be about sadness and darkness. But I believe that joy is a sensation that should be celebrated.”

Rino Larsen grew up in what he describes as an ordinary working class family in Fetsund, Lillestrøm. From an early age, he found great joy in drawing and discovered that different colours carried different psychological properties—a realisation that would stay with him throughout his career.

After completing his formal education in marketing and illustration/design at Norges Kreative Fagskole (NKF), Rino began his career as an illustrator in 1993. At the time, he worked for Forsvarets Forum, the Norwegian army magazine, and also gave lectures at NKF. This is when he started experimenting with technology such as copy machines to create art—an experience that remains traceable in his art today.

Fast forward to 2008, Rino held his first solo exhibition with twenty-four paintings, all of 146

Localfolk Norway

which sold. “Selling out at my first solo show was a real rush and made me realise that perhaps people actually like my art,” he laughs.

Since then, Rino has held numerous solo exhibitions and also taken part in collective exhibitions all over Norway. He believes that everyone can relate to something in his paintings. “Visuality represents an entirely separate language to me, and I find it fascinating when others experience something completely different from me when looking at my paintings,” Rino tells Localfolk.

Rino never lacks inspiration, and his paintings are often a reflection of events in his own life. “I suffered through a serious illness in 2018 and found that this experience really influenced my paintings,” he says. Rino explains how he looked at colours with a fresh perspective and remembered how different shades can evoke different emotions.

Lately, his thoughts have taken him back to his childhood in the late 1960s, specifically to the moon landing and hippie movement.

This has resulted in a series of paintings titled ‘Hippie Astronaut’—a celebration of joy, love and wonder. “Looking up at the moon and realising there were humans up there, together with experiencing the love and joy of ‘flower power’, was absolutely incredible.”

Images / Rino Larsen Words / Kai Isaksen

148

Localfolk Norway

Left Artwork / Crush, Right Artwork / King Bling

When asked to speak about his creative process, Rino says he works on several sketches and drafts before moving onto the actual piece. Staying true to his technological background, he uses a ReMarkable sketchpad which allows him to edit drafts and add layers as new ideas emerge. He explains that he doesn’t accept commissions that don’t align with his current style and inspiration, as this would result in a product that neither him nor the customer would appreciate. For Rino, the key message in his work is that joy is the most beautiful and desirable feeling there is.

One of Rino’s favourite experiences to date was his exhibition at Soli Brug Galleri, a sawmill-turnedgallery that draws up to 20,000 visitors from all over the country for a single exhibition. Rino is currently in the process of creating an exhibition at Hadeland Glassverk, a charming glassworks village that features the work of many well-known artists. He looks forward to getting this exhibition up and running—and to continue spreading joy through his paintings.

Instagram / @rinolarsen rinolarsen.no

Facing Image / Photographer / Benjamin A. Ward

Localfolk Magazine

149

KarianneG

Bringing the past into the present

KarianneG creates beautiful jewellery using traditional techniques and locally sourced materials.

Through treasure hunting in Norway’s cultural heritage, she merges the past and the present.

she found thrilling. "Nowadays, no one wears chain armour anymore, but the possibility of bringing this history to the present through jewellery is something I find very exciting."

Karianne was studying to become a leatherworker in Sweden when she heard of an evening silversmithing course. Although half the course had passed, she offered to pay full price to attend the remaining workshops. “This is where I made my first byzantine bracelet,” Karianne says. She fell in love with the technique and decided to apply for the school’s silversmithing course.

Karianne works with a 3000-year-old ring technique.

“I start by winding a silver wire into a coil, before I saw the coil into rings. Then, using two pliers, I assemble the rings into specific patterns. The relationship between wire thickness, ring size and pattern is crucial for a good result.” Besides working with traditional chain patterns, Karianne sometimes mixes different types of chains to create original designs. "I call these designs hybrid. I only make one of each, so the customer gets a truly unique piece."

However, after being injured in a car crash, doctors told Karianne that her dream of becoming a silversmith might have to remain just that, a dream.

“I was crushed,” Karianne tells us.

Yet, her injury didn’t stop her. Many years after first finding her love for jewellery making, Karianne decided it was time to pursue that dream. She then started her brand: KarianneG. Central to KarianneG as a brand is the interest in cultural heritage. "Today, we're always chasing for anything new. However, I think it's interesting to go treasure hunting in the past,” she says. Karianne explains how she was a "history nerd" from a young age, and the Viking museums other kids found boring,

150

Localfolk Norway

From silver to advertising material, Karianne sources her materials from local and national suppliers. "I think it's important to support Norwegian producers.

I buy boxes for my jewellery from Rikter Svendsen in Fredrikstad, and I try to use my local environment as much as possible," she says.

One of her biggest career moments was when The Viking Ship Museum wanted to sell her jewellery.

“In terms of my dreams, I probably achieved it then.

I had never imagined I would get that opportunity."

Instagram / @karianneg_vikingsmykker karianneg.com Image / Ellen Fossli Words / Maria Jakobsen

Localfolk Magazine

151

152

Localfolk Norway

Kari Anne Marstein

Telling stories through human faces and eyes

A self-taught artist based in Lillestrøm, Kari Anne Marstein is known for her colourful paintings of human faces that give a special focus to the eyes. Her style has been described as naive and figurative, and she encourages viewers to craft their own stories and interpretations of her work.

Back in 2005, Kari Anne Marstein was asked to display her work at a bakery called Godt Brød in Grünerløkka. This was a huge step: while sharing her work in galleries and exhibitions is an integral part of being an artist, Kari Anne naturally shies away from attention. Yet fast forward fifteen years and Kari Anne’s work can now be found in galleries all over Norway, including Tromsø, Raufoss, and Trysil. Her most recent exhibition in Stavern features a massive three-metre painting entitled “Victory”, a piece of which she is particularly proud.

Originally from Eidsvoll, Kari Anne now lives in Lillestrøm with her husband and their two children.

She has been working full-time as an artist since 2011—and in 2015 she built a studio in her garden where she not only creates her own paintings, but also teaches various art courses to the public. Most of her work is displayed at Purenkel Galleri in Grünerløkka in Oslo.

Before becoming a painter, Kari Anne worked in the IT industry. The same day that she graduated from her studies, however, she also bought her first canvas, brushes, and paints. Given the logical world of computing, she found that art offered a muchneeded sense of balance in her life.

Image / Kari Anne Marstein Words / Kai Isaksen

“Each piece of art comes from my imagination and inspiration—and it usually develops without a sense of a final vision,” she tells Localfolk. “My artistic process is very intuitive—and that’s why I can’t accept commissions or special orders. Trying to create someone else’s vision feels limiting and I’m just not sure I could deliver what the customer had in mind!”

While most of her paintings depict human faces, Kari Anne never paints portraits. “I want viewers to recognise who they want in my work, and to craft their own stories and interpretations.”

When asked to share where she finds her inspiration, Kari Anne mentions other artists such as Kai Fjell, John Baker and Edvard Munch, as well as interior design and home decor magazines.

Kari Anne is always looking for ways to grow as an artist and develop her technique. Together with her mother, a retired schoolteacher, she travels across the world to participate in courses that will enhance her artistic abilities. On a recent trip to Spain, they attended a class in classical portraits which gave Kari Anne new ideas for her own style.

“I’m continually learning,” she says. “I want to learn new methods constantly to keep my paintings both surprising and thought-provoking.”

Instagram / @kariannemarstein www.kariannemarstein.no

Localfolk Magazine

153

154

Localfolk Norway

Plesner Patterns

Patterns that capture moments in time It was only a few years ago when Kiki Plesner-Löfroth, sitting at a café, spotted a woman wearing cool, floral-patterned trousers.

Looking to branch out from her job at a design agency, it sparked an idea. Wouldn't it be fun if she could create patterns too? From this moment, Plesner Patterns was born.

Kiki Plesner-Löfroth started her brand Plesner Patterns in 2018—but her path to becoming a designer began much earlier.

After high school, Kiki studied art direction at Westerdals in Oslo, then travelled to Australia where she gained a bachelor’s degree in communication design.

She started Plesner Patterns whilst later working for a design agency. But, she says, the side hustle wasn’t enough. "As I started developing my brand, I decided I wanted to pursue it full-time. It was difficult to focus on it whilst having another job."

Images / Monica Friedrich Johannessen Styling / Sabine Rusch Lindvik Words / Maria Jakobsen

Localfolk Magazine

155

Since then, dedicating herself to her brand full-time has allowed Kiki to focus fully on her patterns, developing different practices and techniques.

"I often start working with analogue methods. I'll find objects in nature or at home and take pictures of them.

A lot of digital editing then goes into transforming these pictures into patterns," she says. "But I like having the trace of a hand or a person in the pattern, so it isn't fully created digitally."

She gives the example of her Playclay pattern, which started from the simple task of cleaning up playdough after her children. A pattern revealed itself in the crumbs, which she went on to develop further.

"I would describe my patterns as freezing seemingly unimportant moments in time. The crumbs were almost in the bin but became the basis of a pattern that ended up representing the kids’ entire childhood."

The wish to capture moments in everyday life is a central inspiration for many of Kiki's patterns. "I want to freeze in time those small moments where our thoughts drift away. This is where my main inspiration comes from, but I also want my designs to give you that feeling of drifting thoughts. You should be drawn into the pattern and, for a moment, be able to escape everything else.”

Is there one pattern that Kiki is particularly proud of?

156

Localfolk Norway

"Proud might be the wrong word, but the patterns that are the most meaningful to me are these most personal ones—the ones starting from a place in my own life.”

Two patterns in particular stand out: Playclay and Eggshell. Eggshell captures a moment when her children were crushing eggshells, which Kiki photographed and turned into a pattern.

Besides ready-made patterns, Plesner Patterns also offers custom patterns. "The custom design process is slightly different. I try to encompass what the client wants to express through the pattern,” Kiki explains.

One of the biggest moments for Kiki and Plesner Patterns so far was being chosen to participate in the Norwegian Presence exhibition—created by DOGA, Innovation Norway, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—to showcase Norwegian design on an international arena.

In the future, she hopes to collaborate with clients to create unique textiles and products such as bed linen, rugs, and wallpapers, but she also wants to work with schools, hospitals, and institutions.

“I want to add colour into places that traditionally lack them, to add something joyful to the environment and to people’s everyday life.”

Instagram / @plesner_patterns plesnerpatterns.no

Localfolk Magazine

157

158

Localfolk Norway

Hanne Margaretha Biedilæ

Femininity and human connection in painting and ceramics

Instagram / @studiohmb studiohmb.no

Hanne M. Biedilæ is a visual artist, painter, and ceramicist based in Fredrikstad. Her distinctive work interrogates the ways in which we relate to ourselves, to each other, and to nature. Now, it’s gaining attention across the world.

Helped by further study in visual art, there she has found some stability and freedom. “I’m finding the voice that expresses what’s meaningful for me. If someone else likes it, that’s great—but that’s not the most important thing anymore.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by emotion and by how we connect with each other. What’s happening when we talk to or meet each other? Often, we meet ourselves in a moment or place in life and something happens inside us.”

With this new approach, things are going well. “Ideas are popping into my head all the time!” Hanne says.

“Sometimes I struggle to accept my own style or my approach to colour and technique. But ultimately I always love that struggle.”

Hanne M. Biedilæ is a visual artist, painter, and ceramicist with a highly philosophical approach to her art. Her richly coloured, tactile, sensuous work plays with and explores the ideas of social consciousness, the encounter with the other, and the ways that emotion mediates our relationships with ourselves and with nature.

When we speak, Hanne is preparing for an exhibition in Milan and has just been invited to be featured in a book of contemporary European art, which will be on sale in galleries across the continent. Meanwhile, a gallery in Madrid has reached out too, asking to represent her and to exhibit her work in upcoming exhibitions.

Yet, there’s one theme that comes up again and again.

“The main concept I approach in my work is the feminine universe, and the surrounding assumptions of eternal femininity, youth, and the feminine as object,” Hanne tells us. As a result, women figures appear across Hanne’s oeuvre, in her ceramics and her paintings, where they seem to emerge from expressive landscapes.

“It will be a great opportunity to reach a wider audience,” Hanne says. “Ultimately, I don’t want to tell people my opinions, but capture ideas and present them. That way, people can engage with those ideas and make up their own mind about them.”

Hanne studied ceramics in Denmark in her twenties and later worked in and managed galleries for a decade while part of Fredrikstad’s Bastion 5 Arts and Crafts Centre. Yet, as she explains, the pressures of commercial art became a little too much. “I started to feel sick with the idea of having to make yet another red plate!” she laughs. “I felt an artist needs to be true to themselves and be as honest as they can. At that moment, it was right for me to develop in a different direction.”

Since 2016, Hanne has been working in her studio in Fredrikstad, her hometown an hour south of Oslo.

Images / Andreas Holleufer Biedilæ Words / Charlie Jarvis

"Why seek the unattainable - JUST BE YOU” 159

160

Localfolk Norway

Dahl-Pedersen Jewellery Local custom-made jewellery

After working as a strategic buyer for a couple of large companies, Lørenskog-based Lill Bente DahlPedersen followed her dream and set up her own jewellery brand. Now, Dahl-Pedersen Jewellery sells handmade jewels crafted in Lill Bente’s workshop, with the attention to detail that only true craftspeople can appreciate and deliver.

Over the past few years, Lill Bente’s work has spread into a different trend: redesigning people’s old pieces of jewellery and melting them into something new.

Whereas a few years ago, people would exchange old gold jewellery for cash, more are now realising that older pieces carry a history that’s worth preserving, she observes.

“I worked for a long time in an industry that imported mass-produced jewellery pieces that weren’t tailormade. After that, I just knew I had to follow my dream.”

“When I remake older jewellery, it is key to spend time to understand what the customer really wants.

For some there are features that are important to keep.

Others are open to a complete redesign, safe in the knowledge that the gold is still the same as that which their great-grandmother wore.”

Lill Bente Dahl-Pedersen graduated from her training as a goldsmith in 2000, with the highest possible grades—yet she soon found herself working more with jewellery logistics than with production. However, by gaining a detailed understanding of the Scandinavian jewellery market, she developed the belief that there was a niche in the market for hand-crafted, personally designed jewellery.

Now an established producer of jewellery, Lill Bente works with gold and silver—and one of her trademark styles is how she mixes different materials and surfaces to create truly unique pieces. “I can, for instance, combine different types of gold and leave some surfaces rustic and unpolished while others are polished,” she explains.

In general, Dahl-Pedersen Jewellery is characterised by timeless and unique design—as each piece is handcrafted. But Lill Bente is quick to stress that these qualities do not mean that the jewellery is unpractical or uncomfortable to wear. Quite the contrary.

“With each design I spend a lot of time ensuring it will be functional and practical. Jewellery should be something you wear, not stack away for special occasions,” she says.

Image / Harald Dahl-Pedersen Words / Kai Isaksen

With a workshop in her own garage, Lill Bente’s morning commute is a short one. Yet, from the start, she was adamant that she would do things properly.

“If I really want to do everything myself, I need all the right equipment. It takes both manual labour and technical finesse to turn designs into functional jewellery,” she explains.

Currently Dahl-Pedersen Jewellery is sold exclusively via its website and directly from their showroom. “I cannot overstate the value of good reviews!” Lill Bente explains. Yet, ideally, she prefers customers to visit her in the workshop—so they can understand and experience the skill that goes into creating their piece of jewellery.

“It is really rewarding for me when people look at my jewellery and struggle to select which piece they like the best,” she says. Ultimately, that’s perhaps why customers often return time after time to buy more of these handmade works of art.

Instagram / @dahlpedersenjewellery dahlpedersenjewellery.no

Localfolk Magazine

161

Toril Kojan

Painter, poet, art therapist, and educator

Images / Kristian Jøraandstad Words / Charlie Jarvis

Between roles as an art therapist, educator, and founding editor for an art magazine, Toril Kojan has always painted. Now, her focus is her art, what she calls “the food for the soul”.

Toril Kojan has had an astonishingly varied life.

Before making a commitment to her art in the early nineties, the visual artist, painter, and poet had already enjoyed a diverse career as an air hostess, advertising copywriter, and product manager at the Norwegian Design Council. She even had time to write a screenplay for the award-winning film producer, John M. Jacobsen. Yet, it was the art magazine she founded and edited for fifteen years, Kunst for Alle (‘Art for All’), that gives her most pride.

"I had long been surrounded by artists and, at that time in the nineties, I was attending many art courses myself," Toril tells us. "It was then that I noticed there was no serious art magazine for amateurs in 162

Localfolk Norway

Norway. So, I decided to leave my role in advertising and set up Kunst for Alle. I edited it by myself until 2010 and it had ten thousand subscribers for a time.

Later, I sold it to Fineart and, now called Kunst, it’s the largest art magazine in the Nordics—I am really proud of that!"

And rightly so. But now, Toril has put most of her commercial work aside. “I’m so happy I can be working on my own art and my own paintings and not have to deal with lots of other things!”, she tells us, laughing. “I’ve been in this studio now for about seven or eight years. It’s a good, big space where I feel I can express myself. Because, for me, expression is painting, more or less.”

Toril’s painting works in the tension between abstraction and figuration. Across her work, enigmatic characters and creatures stand among complex, beguiling scenes led by colour. “My paintings come Facing Image / Red sets the tune, Acrylic on canvas, 120x80cm

164

Who is watching? Acrylic on panel, 60 x 60 cm

Getting ready. Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60cm

Love conquers all. Acrylic on panel, 60 x 60 cm

All my gifts. Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 60 cm

Localfolk Norway

from inside,” she explains. “I let nature and colours inspire me, but I take them in and they come out again digested. My work is mostly abstract, but there’s always something recognisable—and there are some messages to be seen.”

Yet, what those messages might be is up to the viewer, Toril continues. “When I see a painting is finished, I give it a title—'The Kiss’, ‘Rebellion’, ‘Acceptance’.

That’s what I see, but other people may get something quite different. It’s often really surprising how completely different it is what other people see in my work.”

While she now dedicates much of her time to her painting, she hasn’t quite given up everything else.

Firstly, Toril’s students still make up a big part of her life. “I studied art at Nydalen Art School—and I have had incredible teachers myself throughout my art career. So, I now show my students what I learned from my own teachers. Teaching is so fulfilling—to see your students succeed and be happy with what they’re doing. It gives me so much!”

And then, of course, there is art therapy—a practice that encourages psychological healing through art. It is a practice in which Toril is trained and from which she has benefited a lot in the past herself. “I think art therapy has made me much freer,” she says. “It’s a fantastic way to loosen up and find your possibilities.

You don’t know what will come out. It’s your inner self that speaks. It’s really powerful.”

Yet, Toril’s art now comes first. “I’m painting as much as I can these days—and, between my students and different courses I teach, I exhibit at art fairs and shows across Scandinavia.” One that’s coming up is Art Nordic, Scandinavia’s largest art exhibition, which will see thousands of people descend on Copenhagen over a weekend in November. Toril will be among artists from across the world who come to exhibit and sell their work. “I am excited,” Toril says. “It is so good to be able to go to exhibitions again!”

Finally, is there anything else that Toril is excited about? Her response is simple and humbling. “Resting, painting, and having a good life.”

Instagram / @torilkojan kojan.no

Localfolk Magazine

165

Leave a little sparkle wherever you go

Based in Asker, just outside Oslo, Celine Gulset creates timeless jewellery, from the simple and delicate to the monumental and eye-catching. Over the years, she has made herself a name for quality and craftsmanship.

Celine Gulset owes her interest in crafts to her grandfather, a textile engineer and knifemaker. Yet, she says, her introduction to the goldsmith trade specifically happened almost by accident.

When she discovered that it was a possible career, she decided to go all-in: she moved to Copenhagen for over four years to study for a Danish Craft’s Certificate as a goldsmith—and then returned to Oslo to take the Norwegian Certificate as well. She didn’t have to, no. But, as Celine herself explains, “I like to do things thoroughly.”

Thoroughness and ambition have since been the two driving forces behind Celine’s company, Gulset.

Rather than joining a larger established company after training, she launched the jewellery brand in 2011, as she tells Localfolk when we catch up with her.

“I was very determined to build my own brand and do things my way. It was important for me to keep costs down in the beginning and build the company’s foundations,” she explains.

In this way, Gulset started small—but she has steadily built the brand over time. A lot of her marketing has been simple word of mouth from existing satisfied customers, as well as exciting pop-up stores that have created a buzz around her brand. She tells of long days and hard work over the last decade. But it has

Images / Aliona Pazdniakova Words / Kai Isaksen

not gone unrecognised. In 2015, Celine received a well-deserved reward for her efforts, when she was named “founder of the year” in her home area of Asker and Bærum.

“That was really surprising and quite overwhelming, to be honest!” she says. “But I am really honoured that my hard work and dedication to quality craftsmanship has been recognised. It was great news for our external partners too, who always bring their best. We’re really proud to work with the very best in different fields.”

Gulset’s vision is to create jewellery that is timeless and modern—and that is wearable both every day and for more festive occasions. To this end, she works with exclusive materials of the highest quality, such as diamonds, gold, sterling silver, and other precious stones.

“For me, each stone has a different personality, and sometimes I find diamonds can be charming and intriguing—but, of course, I am bit of a nerd about this!” Celine laughs. “I want my pieces to have a modern feel, but they should be able to last for generations. That means there can’t be any shortcuts when it comes to quality, of course—but I also want customers to be able to recognise a Gulset piece when they see it.”

In fact, many of the pieces that Gulset make are created based on special wishes or specifications from the customers, and Celine spends a lot of time discussing ideas to ensure every customer finds a design that is special. One way that Celine makes this happen is, if customers have inherited an old piece of jewellery, to re-use the gold to create a new piece.

Localfolk Magazine

167

168

Localfolk Norway

“Customers need to be able to trust me to guide them to the perfect design. When men buy engagement rings, there’s a big risk — but I love that sense of responsibility.”

Localfolk Magazine

169

“It is a really good way to keep a link to the past, while at the same time having an elegant and modern piece of jewellery,” Celine explains.

In this way, the process to design a piece of jewellery can be intimate and emotional—feelings that, for Celine, are essential to jewellery itself.

“Jewellery evokes emotions in many people, especially when it relates to special events like weddings or christenings. It’s interesting because I get an insight into people’s lives when I work with them,” she says.

“Customers need to be able to trust me to guide them to the perfect design. In some cases, such as when men buy engagement rings, there’s a big risk—but I love that sense of responsibility.”

Ultimately, what does the future look like?

“There is always a dream to expand and make the brand even bigger,” Celine says. “Yet, any expansion must ensure that the craftmanship and quality can continue.”

Instagram / @gulset gulset.no 170

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

171

Inger Marie Grini

Interior photography in search of calm and balance.

An established freelance photographer based in Oslo, Inger Marie Grini works on commercial and editorial projects. Her focus is interior photography.

Images / Inger Marie Grini Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager

172

Localfolk Editorial

Right Image / Tonning & Stryn Stylist / Susanne Swegen @stylistsusanneswegen

Localfolk Magazine

173

174

Localfolk Norway

Image / Hamran Snekkerverksted 175 Localfolk Magazine

176

Localfolk Norway

I

nger Marie Grini’s passion for photography began when she received her first compact camera as a child. Soon after, she had the opportunity to work at Afterposten—Norway’s largest printed newspaper—as part of a week-long work placement program in school. She was instantly hooked, and at the age of fifteen, she joined an evening photography course to pursue her newfound passion.

Fast forward to today and you’ll find Inger Marie working at her desk in her studio at Vøienvolden Gård in Sagene, often listening to podcasts and the radio while editing. That’s where she is when we catch up with her.

What’s the most exciting project that you have ever worked on?

“It has to be photographing Under, the world’s largest underwater restaurant in Lindesnes, for Hamran Snekkerverksted and Bo Bedre—before it opened its doors to the public,” Inger Marie says.

“At Under, that’s probably when I felt most out of my comfort zone, as the light in the restaurant came filtered through green sea water—so all the photos came out green.”

Top Image / Restaurant Under, Lindesnes Customer / Hamran Snekkerverksted and Snøhetta

Localfolk Magazine

177

Top Image / Buene Stylist / Susanne Swegen

178

Localfolk Norway

Right Image / Fram Oslo Stylist / Kirsten Visdal

179

“Getting people to respect your craft and copyright is hard.”

180

Localfolk Norway

Right Image / Buene Stylist / Line Dammen

Localfolk Magazine

181

182

Localfolk Norway

Yet, she says, part of the challenge of being a photographer is that you can’t always control your surroundings.

“Of course, you can improve things in postproduction, but a big part of everything is also luck!

Ultimately, after that shoot, I couldn’t believe it when Snøhetta called and said they couldn’t send their press release without some of my images. After that, all of a sudden, my pictures appeared all over the world—in Wallpaper, The Wall Street Journal, Dezeen, The Guardian, Vogue, everywhere!”

As a full-time photographer for the past sixteen years, Inger Marie has worked with big design names such as Hamran, Røros Tweed, Tonning & Stryn, Fram Oslo, and Buene—in addition to working with Bo Bedre Norge for over thirteen years. Yet, Inger Marie doesn’t have one favourite image from this time. Rather, she appreciates any image that makes her feel calm and in balance. She sees some amazing homes and cabins in her work and believes that images often need to be together to tell their full story. That said, she admits the feature Image / Boffi and Bo Bedre Norge Stylist / Susanne Swegen

she completed of Bygdøy Allé for the September issue of Bo Bedre Norge is her current favourite.

And her favourite location to photograph? Inger Marie says that getting to shoot in places where architects and interior architects have been involved is a dream come true. “Their way of using materials and working with the light makes all the difference.”

When considering her biggest challenges, Inger Marie says that while the demand for photography is greater than ever, the supply of photographers is also rapidly increasing. Anyone can become a photographer these days, and there are an infinite number of unprotected images out there. “Getting people to respect your craft and copyright is hard.”

That said, Inger Marie is grateful that she’s able to do the work she does—and she hopes to continue making a living as a photographer for years to come.

Instagram / @ingermariegrini ingermariegrini.no Localfolk Magazine

183

184

Localfolk Feature

Emil Sollie

Photography born of a passion for action sports

32-year-old Emil Sollie’s journey in photography was born from his desire to capture surfing and snowboarding through a lens. Thanks to his innovative methods and his commitment to astonishing images, his work is finding an eager global audience.

Emil Sollie’s passion for photography goes hand-in-hand with his love for surfing and snowboarding.

Rather, it was from his love for these sports that his commitment to photography was born.

“Few have the opportunity to surf large hidden waves, ride steep mountain slopes, or base jump surrounded by insane nature,” Emil explains when we talk to him. “But I want to capture these incredible sports and incredible places in a different way.”

Emil gives an example of how he uses innovative photographic techniques to tread new ground in extreme sport photography.

“Five years ago, I had the idea to photograph a surfer under the northern lights in Lofoten. After a lot of planning, I managed to get Red Bull on board with the project, which in turn brought one of its athletes, Mick Fanning—the Australian world surfing champion—to fly up to the north and join us.”

To bring this photo of Fanning beneath the aurora borealis into existence, two different images are required—one with a short shutter speed to freeze the movement of the surfer, and one with a long shutter speed to capture the northern lights. Emil tested a photo technique that he had not seen anyone use before, in which he froze the movement of the surfer with a flash during prolonged exposure, in order to capture the image in one take.

Images / Emil Sollie Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager

Localfolk Editorial

185

186

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

187

188

Localfolk Magazine

189

190

Localfolk Norway

Localfolk Magazine

191

The result was exactly what he had imagined, yet the public interest in the image perhaps wasn’t. The photo not only went viral on social media—but it was also featured by major news sources such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, and the BBC. But Emil’s life can’t all be adventure, can it? “A normal day is anything but typical,” Emil says. He travels a lot, working on many different projects at a time—many of which are season-dependent. One day he could be photographing surfers on the beach at sunrise—and the next he could be strapping on his splitboard to find the best snow. That said, Emil also has office days where he wakes up at a normal hour, makes a double espresso, and cycles to the Grünerløkka office space.

For many years, Emil was a Nikon ambassador, and he still shoots with the Nikon Z7ii today.

His favourite lens is the Sigma Art 50mm F/1.4, preferably with the pola-filter, and he most often edits his photos in Adobe Bridge. Yet, one element of his style has changed. While in the early days, Emil was inspired by other snowboard photographers— he liked to create his own scenes with his own light using lots of flash and colours—over time he has

192

Localfolk Norway

moved toward the simple and natural, and toward moody, Nordic styles.

Two projects stand out in Emil’s mind when asked about his favourite project. The first is the photoshoot with Mick Fanning in Lofoten. “That remains my favourite photo to this day,” he says.

But the second is an art project he did with Samsung to showcase The Frame TV. He was the first photographer from Norway whose photos were uploaded to Samsung’s Art Store on The Frame, so they had an exhibition to showcase this. Today, the only artists from Norway available on the Art Store are Emil and Edvard Munch.

That means that anyone who has the television anywhere in the world can display his photos on their wall. “I’m very interested in design and interior, so this was right up my alley.”

The next big project for Emil is a trip to Iceland with surfers and a film crew for an exhibition in 2022. But his advice to aspiring photographers?

Take as many pictures as possible, never say no to a job, and have fun.

Instagram / @emilsollie emilsollie.com

Localfolk Magazine

193

Localfolk OSLO EDITION