Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.

I just moved back to Oslo after living in Leipzig, Germany for a while. My work is mostly centered around drawing, even though I think of myself more as a writer. I like to think about drawing as a language. I also co-run a publishing house with a friend called Foot Books, where we publish many kinds of works based around contemporary drawing.

What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on?

I’m currently working on the next chapter of “Scriber Stories”, a one panel comic I’m working on. The plan is to release it as a book sometime in 2025, and meanwhile the single panels will make their appearance in some exhibitions.

What is one of the bigger challenges you and/or other artists are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing?

Personally I’ve struggled with what way I should connect my work to the current present. Rather than referring to our world, I think a lot of artists are feeling the urge to create something of a reality theirselves.

How do you think your drawings operate in different contexts/environments?

That’s actually a thing I love about working on the one panel-series I’m doing now. I’ve been very liberal on letting them operate in all kinds of contexts, from exhibitions, to newspapers, books, and also of course online. They will obviously be read differently depending on the context, but that’s a fact that I’ve learned to appreciate – to let them have a life on their own.

Do you have any daily rituals?

I wake up to classical music every morning. I love it!

What materials do you use in your work and what is your process like?

I’m trying to create a process where I can change the idea several times while executing it. This allows me to let the work take some unexpected turns.

Have you had any dreams that stuck out to you lately, and if so, would you be willing to share?

I’m biking with my old neighbour in a car tunnel, and suddenly we realize that on the ground is covered with oversized, flat meat toppings. As we are arriving at a new topping, we chant together “salami”, “boiled ham”, “servelat”, “chorizo”, and so on. It’s a strange nightmare.

Do you conjure a narrative when making certain pieces?

I’m trying my best to avoid that.

What was the last show you saw that stuck out to you?

I saw Fischli and Weiss’ Suddenly this Overview in Paris this summer. I’ve seen the s eries several times, but it still hits me so hard. It must be one of my all time favourite pieces of art.

Do you consider collaboration an important part of making?

Indeed!

What are you really excited about right now?

There is a famous panel from The Far Side called “Cow Tools”. I have been looking a lot on it the last days.

 

Interview conducted and edited by Liam Owings