Bark Pictures
Birch bark entered my work naturally, as an extension of the landscape in which I live. In Finnmark, birch trees are a constant presence, shaped by wind, weather and the changing seasons. Over time, I became fascinated by the textures, colours and structures hidden within the bark itself. While collecting and observing these fragments, I began to notice that they already contained elements of the northern landscape: cliffs, coastlines, mountain ridges, weathered rock formations and traces of time. Rather than simply painting these places, I started incorporating the bark directly into my works.
Some pieces are built almost entirely from layers of birch bark, while others combine natural materials with paint and abstraction. Although the resulting images are non-representational, they often evoke associations with coastal scenery, Arctic terrain or aerial views of remote landscapes.
What interests me most is the dialogue between material and memory. The bark is not only a medium but also a fragment of a real place. In these works, the landscape is not merely depicted — it becomes physically present within the painting itself.
Each composition develops through observation, experimentation and an intuitive response to the material. I rarely begin with a fixed image in mind. Instead, I follow the forms, textures and rhythms already present in the bark, allowing them to guide the creative process and reveal their own stories.
