Gustaf Nordenskiöld
by Anna Sörenson Rydh
Gustaf Nordenskiöld works with ceramics, glass, and watercolour with focus on the process. With watercolour the idea is to pay attention to all parts of the work, the pigment and the water. With clay he concentrates on the forces of nature and how to work with a lump of clay. For a previous projetct he made portraits of fir trees growing in Lainio, where he was working with other artists on the project Residence in Nature. The fir trees were depicted in watercolour on a 1:1 scale. Most of the trees were tough and gnarly and he found they had distinct personalities. Each portrait was 113cm wide and 3-4,5 metres high. The works were hung at Kalmar Konsthall in the middle of the room resembling a forest. At his latest exhibition Bless us sun in Stockholm he showed watercolour works on paper together with clay sculptures. The subject matters are flowers and naked men in erotic positions. During lockdown Gustaf Nordenskiöld reflected on AIDS which also was a  worldwide epidemic, but one that the younger generations never have experienced. The inspiration for the works were still images from pre-AIDS movies at a time when a free and unashamed attitude towards nudity and sexuality were prevalent. Gustaf Nordenskiöld found motives for the men and the flowers in films by Derek Jarman, who apart from being an artist and a filmmaker also was a gay activist. His films were shot in a very special garden he created in Kent. In his films the erotic scenes were intertwined with beautiful nature views and scenes from the garden in a very free and joyful way.

Lars Christian Kræmmer
by Marianne Gross
Since he was born in Canada it seemed natural for Lars Christian Kræmmer to return to the country to study at the Emily Carr University of Art & Design. Here he was introduced to mysticism, occultism, and numerolgy and chose the number 7 as his personal number. During his study he completed the project 7 weeks in darkness inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead. He spent 7 weeks in a specially designed box in total darkness creating “blind drawings”. Deprived of his sight he was not able to see what he was drawing but his other senses were sharpened and the lines on the paper left direct traces in his soul so he took care to be positive and non-destructive. During a strained period in his life he moved around a lot and had to downsize his belongings. The practicality of oil painting became difficult and he disovered watercolour. He got used to always carrying a small box of watercolour pans in his pocket. The paints can be easily activated in most conditions. He started using watercolour on a daily basis, as a diary and to retain travel memories often in the “art money” format (12x18cm). Lars Christian Kræmmer invented art money in 1997. There are strict rules that each art money artist must abide by, and the idea was to enable individuals (not nations) to issue and spend art money on the same base as regular currency. After many difficulties, art money was recognized as an official legal currency. However, he has recently sold the brand and the new owners are implementing a number of changes to the concept. His current project is to travel to remote parts of the world for 7 years without too many plans. He lets fate decide which experiences he will have and which people he will meet. He travels for a couple of months at a time returning home to spend time with his wife and children and to write books, hold talks and to paint life drawings.

Olga Koelsch
by Anna Sörenson Rydh
The new Norwegian representative on the board of NAS, Olga Koelsch, has a background in marketing and a marketing degree from Moscow but moved to Bergen 8 years ago when her German husband was offered a job at the University of Bergen as a professor of biological and music psychology. For a number of years she had been painting as a hobby, but now it has turned into a full-time occupation. She mainly did botanical illustrations and succeeded in getting a contract with a publisher for her book How to Paint Transparent Watercolor Flowers. She started sharing small films about her process and also began teaching watercolour. The art classes in her Russian childhood school concentrated on realistic renditions. Drawings had to be detailed and precise, but her current style has become more loose which she enjoys a lot more. She aims to keep her materials simple: Hot pressed paper plus round synthetic brushes in 2 sizes ( 4 and 10). She doesn’t stretch or tape her paper, but lays down paint in very thin washes that are allowed to dry between each layer. As soon at he flowering season begins in Bergen her phone is overflowed with inspirational motives of flowers, landscapes, and trees. She constantly wants to try out new ideas. Among the artists she refers to for inspiration she mentions LaFe, Elke Memmler and Vincente Garcia Fuentes. She is also an admirer of Endre Penovac who manages to express a lot in just a single brush stroke. Her own aim now is to be more loose, to let go and have less control, to espand her palette and to be as spontaneous as one is able to with watercolour.

World of Pattern – Exhibition at the Nordic Watercolour Museum
by Bera Nordal, Museum Director, Nordic Watercolour Museum
In 2025 the Nordic Watercolour Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its foundation the museum has presented 135 exhibitions featuring some of the world’s finest historic and contemporary artists with a strong focus on the Nordic watercolour art. We have built a unique art collection while also being at the forefront of art education. The jubilee exhibition World of Pattern will offer a new perspective on the watercolour medium. The aim of this exhibition is to highlight the crucial role of the watercolour medium in pattern design and visual expression. Many of the watercolour works on display have served as models for production of fabrics, wallpaper, porcelain, etc. By investigating both classic and contemporary pattern sketches we can approach the creative depth and inventiveness of watercolour art. Among the participating artists are the captivating, well-educated but excentric Icelandic folk artist Sölvi Helgason (1820-1895), and Anni Albers (1899-1994) who was a ground-breaking artist end textile designer and a main figure of the Bauhaus movement along with her husband Josef Albers (also represented in the exhibition). Other renowned international artists represented are William Morris, Joseff Hoffmann, and Sonia Delaunay as well as Nordic design icons such as Josef Frank, Arne Jacobsen, and Maija Isola. Their works will be shown alongside works of contemporary artists who push the boundaries between art and design and are engaged in an essential dialogue between the historic and modern perspective of pattern design.