Bente M Strømmen

The curious artist Bente M Strømmen always loved to create, but it wasn’t until her 40s that she got a formal education as an artist. After exploring several mediums and techniques over the years, it was after her debut exhibition in ceramics in 1997 that Bente quickly went on to hold exhibitions all over the country, and became the versatile artist she is today.

“I like to express myself through painting, such as oil, acrylic and watercolours. I find a welcome challenge in trying new techniques such as charcoal, felt-tip pens, crayon, pastels and oil and fabric printing,” Bente says. She’s also deeply interested in ceramics, and in particular the ancient art of raku, a Japanese ceramics technique. “In ceramics, especially raku, there are unimaginable possibilities that stimulate my creativity,” she says.

ARTIST & CERAMICIST

Facing Image "Folder" / Martin Fossen & Vibeke Caroline L F Strømmen Words / Maria Vole

BARAKU.NO

INSTAGRAM @BENTEMSTROEMMEN

“I think the fact that I’ve always tried out different techniques has contributed to a diversity within my artistic life,” Bente tells Localfolk. “This was expressed especially well in my exhibition at the Røros Museum in 2011/2012, where I exhibited watercolours, oil paintings, acrylic paintings, fabric prints, raku ceramics and a macro photo of raku ceramics on anodised aluminum plates. In connection with the exhibition, an art book was also published with pictures and texts in ceramics, paintings and watercolour.”

She has a dynamic process for creating her different pieces depending on the medium.

“When it comes to paintings, the creative process usually starts with a blank sheet or canvas. The colours are important and often determine the motif. It can be intuitive, an idea or something I’ve seen, recently experienced or if I find myself in a certain mood because of music or nature,” Bente says. “My watercolour on rice paper pieces are like a story — a vision of a people and another world”.

While her work in painting can be spontaneous and fluid, Bente’s work in ceramics requires much more planning.“ As a ceramicist, I spend a lot of time planning, testing and trying out different materials with clay. I like to start with sketching first, before I draw shapes, cast plaster molds in cast sand, which become basic shapes for further modeling,” she says.

Bente’s process of creating ceramics is time-consuming and challenging. When things are removed from the oven, everything needs to happen quickly — and the risk of breakage is great. “What I find most inspiring about the raku technique is the unpredictable, the raw, the challenging burning process itself,” she says.

“The whole process of this technique is so exciting and gives me so many great experiences,” Bente says. “It’s a time consuming process, and many months of work goes into it. The burning process is tiring and quite dangerous due to the gas, smoke and chemicals used”. This is why she only holds one burning per year.

Bente is a versatile artist who draws inspiration from a wide range of sources. “Everything inspires me — especially nature, light, moods, music, colours, words, books, movies, unusual people, any kind of performance from ballet to concerts, artists and art exhibitions,” Bente says.

She believes artists and art play an important role in our society. “I think artists have a big impact in society. Through their art, they can convey so much.” Bente says.

With a Heart for Good Craftsmanship

Born a creative, Heidi Mitsel Bullen always knew she would become an artist one day. Now she runs an allin-one workshop, boutique, and gallery in the heart of Straumen, where she sells her own ceramics, glass art, knitwear, paintings, and hand-dyed yarn.

Situated on ‘The Golden Road’ which passes through scenic parts of Inderøy in Nord-Trøndelag, Gallery Mitsel belongs to a special community of craftsmen, farmers, and cultural attractions. Run by Heidi herself, with a little help from her family, the gallery showcases her multidisciplinary work over three floors. The building features a workshop, a boutique, and an attic gallery, where visitors can not only purchase Heidi’s creations, but also observe her in the creative process. The journey to the opening of Gallery Mitsel, however, was not linear.

Despite knowing that she wanted to become a ceramicist from an early age, life happened and Heidi found love, got married, and had three children before pursuing her dream. In 2001, she enrolled in a yearlong ceramics course at her local county college. At the same time, she started experimenting with different glass art techniques to develop her skills and broaden her understanding of various art disciplines. “I am driven by a very strong desire to always learn new things and try new techniques, and I want my art to be unique and special.”

Fast-forward to 2014, Heidi was working full-time as a youth worker when she received the opportunity to open her own gallery. In doing so, she would join ‘The Golden Road’ cooperative and aid in their mission to increase awareness of local attractions in the area. Heidi jumped at the chance and today she sells most of her art directly from her gallery, as well as through a handful of ‘Husfliden’ shops in Trøndelag. She is very content with the size of her business, but remains driven to explore new ideas and concepts.

Heidi shared with Localfolk that the market is tough, and she feels very lucky to be able to make a living doing what she loves. At the same time, she admits that working with ceramics and glass can feel more like a job than a hobby, especially when the objective is to produce enough stock before a season. She says that 18- to 19-hour days are not unheard of, especially when stocking up for the busy summer months. That said, she finds peace and tranquillity in painting, creating beautiful landscapes with acrylics and watercolours.

At Gallery Mitsel, Heidi operates under the philosophy that each piece should be unique, while also adapting her products to the current market conditions. Around Christmas, for example, she increases her production of usable art such as ceramic cups, which many people buy as gifts. When summer comes around, she has more flexibility to experiment with her products, since customers have the time to shop and are willing to spend more on things they love. By matching supply with demand and adjusting her production accordingly, Heidi enjoys working on different art disciplines all year round.

MITSEL.NO

INSTAGRAM @GALLERIMITSEL