Brit Dyrnes

ARTIST & CERAMICIST

Brit Dyrnes is an artist and ceramicist with over 50 years of experience, and her new exhibition, EMNE, has just launched in Trondheim. Alongside her long career in the arts, Brit has also been heavily involved in social campaigning on behalf of craft artists for years.

Images / infinitiv.no w/Erik Børseth Words / Maria Vole

In her career as an artist, Brit explores a range of different disciplines – but works mainly with clay.

“I find clay to be a very fascinating material. I have about 50 years experience working with clay and a lot of knowledge about the medium, but it can still surprise me. I love to experiment, and clay is such an interesting material and can be shaped according to what meaning you’re trying to convey,” she says.

Brit’s creative process is very dynamic, and she relies on experimentation.

“I never plan or sketch a piece ahead of time before I start working on it – I have an idea of what I want to achieve in my mind’s eye. I try out different techniques and see what comes of it, and then I continue to build and sculpt the piece from there until I feel that it’s right. I work very intuitively, and it’s an experimental process,” Brit explains.

This charismatic artist is very passionate about the arts. Alongside her work as an artist, Brit is very active in the art and culture space.

“In many ways, I’m an entrepreneur as an artist – I’ve established and contributed to several important projects in Trondheim related to art and culture, such as Trondheim Open.”

Brit has worked hard for many years to strengthen the position of craft artists in Norway, and won The Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts’ honorary award in 2019 for her efforts in social engagement.

“It’s very important for me to work towards improving the position of artists in Norwegian society. For me, this is about being able to make a living from art and artistic expression being valued. We need to achieve dignity, fair payment and a recognition of what craft artists contribute to society,” Brit says.

Brit has exhibited her work with many exhibitions in Norway and beyond, and her work as an artist is prolific.

“I’m a very active, dynamic person with a lot of energy, and I always have a lot going on at once.

“It’s very important for me to work towards improving the position of artists in Norwegian society. For me, this is about being able to make a living from art and artistic expression being valued”.

At the same time, much like all other human beings, I’m also vulnerable.”

Brit has also used her artistic selfexpression as a way to reflect on the human condition and the fragility and significance of our experience as human beings.

“Clay is a very physical material, and I was able to use this to work through issues in my own life. In the process of creating, a lot happened. Clay is a strong material, but experimenting with it led to the ceramic objects developing cracks and collapsing,” Brit says.

Her exploration of the limitations and possibilities of her chosen medium resulted in interesting and poignant pieces.

Brit draws a lot of inspiration from our lives as human beings, and she also finds inspiration in nature and her surroundings.

“Nature is an important element for me,” she says. “As an artist, I’m interested in how nature affects me and how we as human beings connect and interact with the nature around us. I go outside to find raw materials to use in my work, and I draw a lot of inspiration from the nature and landscapes around me – using my senses, taking it all in, seeing the changing seasons.” In fact, Brit was so interested to explore how the landscape impacts artists in terms of natural surroundings but also related to human beings, that she recently decided to make a change in her own surroundings. Brit had lived in Trondheim most of her life before deciding to move to Surnadal, a charming rural community located between Molde and Kristiansund. The artist now divides her time between Surnadal and Trondheim, where her family still lives.

For Brit, connecting with other people, places and things is key for her practice as an artist.

“You could almost call me a nomadic artist – I travel a lot. I’ve been to Japan several times, and am associated with a cultural centre in Italy. I love to interact with international artists and ceramicists, and I enjoy the exchange of ideas and knowledge,” she says. “Travelling and connecting with other people inspires me a lot. No matter how old you get, you can still learn something every day.”

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