Yes.

Monotype, 2012.

From the edges of fear

I realized that I still had not posted the final version of this, so here it is. Mixed media collage, 2012. This piece is about the struggle in life, and how two people bond through their struggles (and hopefully overcome it).

Loss

Thesis Illustrations. The top one is the monotype by itself. The second version is the finished mixed media collage illustration. 2012.

Home: fading memories

Thesis work. Mixed media collage, 2012. (Part of a larger series) My goal, in the thesis work, was to create inviting and positive illustrations that would leave the viewer with an imprint, echo, thought or sense of connectivity. Even though I think of connections we share with other people as something positive and beautiful, there are plenty of tension and struggle in these connections too. To me it is important that the duality, both the positive and negative shines through my work.

Using collage and mixed media allows me to be very free. I also think collage and mixed media speaks of the present. Today we are used to seeing a number of screens at the same time, with type rolling across the screens, having ten tabs open at the same moment on internet, hearing layers of sounds, constantly being plugged in all at the very same time. Collage and mixed media embodies this state of collision we surround ourselves with, every day.

As a cross-culture artist in this multicultural world, my illustrations aim to open up a conversation reflecting the diversity I see in the world. In the illustration above, the powerful red house and the strong dark lines symbolize the vibrancy of my memories and the support and comfort I have from my roots. The sense of power the red house brings is seperated. The grey stripes and collaged pieces that overlap the house and float through it represents the fading memories and sense of truly belonging that are being replaced and pushed back by the new experience I have here in Portland. The patterns and repetitive marks in the ground speak of the rhythms of everyday life. I go through every day being caught in between the two cultures and lands, Norway and America. I identify with Norwegians and the Norwegian way of living, yet I walk, speak and live on a different ground.

Community: I am

Thesis work. Mixed media collage, 2012.

Stronger than bone

Mixed media collage, 2012. More thesis work. The illustrated word is the theme for the upper illustration. The hands talk about the positive aspect of opening up to someone, the hope in being close, while the illustrated word comment upon the potential danger or imprisonment of intimacy. 

In my thesis work, I was heavily influenced by an ancient legend that talk in a symbolistic manner about human connection and how people are tied to each other across cultures, borders, time and place. The idea is that human beings are always searching for their spot in the world, trying to answer questions such as: Who am I? What am I doing here? The legend explains how all people are handed a role in the world, and despite the vast diversity of people found in the world, when we are all added up, the universe starts to play like a script. Like music. Everyone fits in, the puzzle is complete. I hope my work embodies this idea. 

There is an ancient Chinese legend, about a red thread that connects all human beings, by wrapping around each and every single one of our ankles. It connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstances. Sometimes the thread is loose, other times tight, and sometimes there is a knot or a loop on the thread. Still, it never breaks. There are no loose ends. The thread forms a network of all the people your life touch. This way all people are equal and play important roles in the world. Strangers affect strangers in ways they couldn’t possibly imagine.