In a series of exploring the young Norwegian art scene, we met with Ragnhild Nes in her studio in the center of Oslo. As a multidimensional artist, she expresses herself by translating words of poetry into colors and abstract strokes on canvas, in sculptures and art installations.

Explore her colorful art language and read our quick Q&A with Ragnhild.

An introduction to you
My name is Ragnhild Nes and I’m a 29-year-old artist based in Oslo, Norway. My practice is multidimensional. I work with sculpturing, drawing, and writing poetry, but above all painting.

How did you start as an artist?
I studied art in high school and ever since I’ve been expressing myself through a creative language. I moved to Copenhagen to go to Borups Højskole to study art and had a studio and painted in Copenhagen. Then I decided to study design, both in Norway and in the UK. I’ve always painted and been taking courses outside of my studies, as well as assisting other painters. It has always been my way of processing my thoughts and surroundings, by painting on the canvas or paper. With time, painting dynamically became a huge part of my work, and after I had three sold out exhibitions, I decided to leave my daytime job and follow my dreams. I never looked back.

How would you describe your art?
I primarily work with the medium of painting. I usually start off by writing poetry on my canvas then work in layers creating a composition with media such as paint, oil pastels and ink. Painting is a way of processing my thoughts and the world around me with color, emotion and capturing a glimpse of time on the surface. Color is an important component of my work. I consider color to be a unique expression of our inner language that can communicate more than words can express.

What inspires you?
Inspiration is part of the creation process. I’m constantly observing and looking at my surroundings, the light, and the world through my own perspective. I abstract the everyday. My motivation comes from my inspiration in many ways. I get motivated in an artistic process, working with a series of paintings, where I see how they connect and communicate with one another. Often, this is a longer dialogue between me and the process, where it’s a thin line between inspiration and frustration.