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Meet the artists

Meet the artist: Nina Malterud

Portrait of the artist Nina Malterud

Written by: Maria Tripodianos

Updated

For nearly fifty years, Nina Malterud has been one of Norway’s foremost artists in her field.

In the summer of 2022 Kode presents "Material Statements" – a major solo exhibition of the artist featuring more than hundred works from every stage of her career.

The exhibition’s title takes us straight to the heart of Malterud’s work. Throughout her career, she has been preoccupied with the expressive potential of clay.

In this video, we get to visit her in her studio, as well as sitting down for an interview right before the exhibition opening.

About the artist

Nina Malterud studied at the National College of Art and Design in Oslo (1971–1974). She played an active role in the activist campaign Kunstneraksjon-74 (Artists' Action-74). What was negotiated and achieved by the artists during these years of activity is still the financial basis for most contemporary art production in Norway today. Furthermore, she had a central role in establishing the Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts in 1975 and in the launch of the crafts magazine Kunsthåndverk in 1980.

Malterud was professor of ceramics at the Bergen National Academy of the Arts (KHiB) from 1994 to 2002, before serving as rector at the same institution from 2002 to 2010. In collaboration with other national arts education institutions, she was deeply involved in establishing the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme in 2003.

Malterud has received several awards for her work in arts education and crafts, including the Honorary Award of the Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts in 2005 and the Ulrik Hendriksen’s Honorary Award in 2022.

Video by:

Director: Paul Johannessen

Producers: Maria Tripodianos and Anette Basso