From the Norwegian Coast to China - A Journey in Art and New Encounters
This September, I travelled from my home on the Norwegian coast to Beijing, China — a journey that became so much more than a trip. It was a meeting between cultures, people and artistic perspectives, and an opportunity to share a little piece of the Norwegian landscape that has shaped my work for more than three decades.
I was invited to Beijing through NordArt and Nordic Light in Kristiansund, as part of an exciting initiative to present Norwegian art, photography and creative voices to a Chinese audience.
For me, travelling to China was a chance to experience a new cultural landscape, but also to see my own work from a different perspective. My jewellery is deeply rooted in the sea, the coastline and the powerful nature of western Norway. The forms, textures and movement of the ocean have always been an important source of inspiration.
Arriving in Beijing, I was struck by the contrasts. The scale of the city, its history and architecture, the energy of contemporary life — and at the same time, the quiet details found in gardens, temples, galleries and traditional craftsmanship.
One of the highlights was visiting Beijing's vibrant art scene and experiencing the creative environment of 798 Art District. Being surrounded by contemporary art from China and beyond gave me new impressions and perspectives that I will carry with me for a long time.
But the journey did not end in Beijing.
A new chapter in Xiamen
I am incredibly honoured to have been invited to participate in a new exhibition presented through Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Xiamen this November, as part of the international programme connected to Jimei × Arles International Photo Festival.
The exhibition brings together artists from Norway and China, creating a dialogue across geography and artistic traditions.
I will be exhibiting alongside several talented Norwegian artists, including René Konings and Sverre Hjelmeland. To be part of this exhibition is particularly meaningful to me because it connects two places that, at first glance, may seem very far apart — the Norwegian west coast and China — while art creates a space where these distances become much smaller.
Three Shadows has an important position in China's contemporary photography scene, and I am excited to see how my jewellery and artistic work will enter this new context.
Carrying the Norwegian coast with me
Whenever I travel, I realise how much of my home I carry with me.
The sea is present in my work — in the flowing lines, organic shapes, textures and movement. It is present in my memories and in the way I look at materials and forms.
Perhaps that is why travelling so far from home can make you see home more clearly.
From the rugged coastline of Kristiansund to the vastness of Beijing and the coastal city of Xiamen, this journey has reminded me that creativity has no borders.
It is about curiosity. About encounters. About looking at the familiar through unfamiliar eyes.
And perhaps most importantly, it is about creating connections.
For me, this invitation means more than simply showing my work in another country.
It is an opportunity to bring my artistic world into a completely new cultural context.
My jewellery has always been created from a very personal place. I grew up surrounded by the sea, and I have spent much of my life observing its changing moods and forms. The sea can be powerful and restless, but also quiet, generous and timeless.
I often wonder if that is what I try to capture in my work — not the sea itself, but the feeling of standing beside it.
I am deeply grateful to NordArt and Nordic Light in Kristiansund for the invitation and for opening this door to new encounters in China.
I look forward to returning to China in November — this time to Xiamen — and to sharing my work, my inspiration from the Norwegian sea with a new audience.
From the Norwegian coast to China — a new chapter begins.
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