Bio

Frode Norman (born 1979) is an illustrator, painter, photographer, and writer. Studying his artistic work brings to mind petroglyphs, Byzantium, El Greco, and Giacometti.

Through collage, he blends figures with an emphasis on the spaces in between, and against the background, often combined with text. One could say that these intervals – the negative space – repeat one another like echoes.

A highlight of Norman’s body of work is his series of primal figures set against pages from textbooks. The figures are masterfully composed, with the texts drawn from scholars, mystics, and authors.

Norman is a self-taught artist self-taught artist straddling the line between the abstract and the figurative. He tries to communicate directly with the subconscious, without a lot of explanations or distractions. Much of his inspiration is drawn from the play of shadows in the forests of Østerdalen, where he grew up. In his own words: "I view art as humanity's oldest tradition, and I believe we should develop our own art by drawing upon these deep roots." 

The first works by Norman I were exposed to, featured forest animals drawn in his characteristic style, marked by a graphic force in the interplay between the positive and the negative space. Even though geometry was a guiding principle, it never compromised the mystique of the forest.

In his photographic work, he creates similar figures in interior and exterior settings. He is faithful to his distinct style, while still constantly evolving it.

Regarding the exhibition, Norman states: "The project Ambusta Muni is aimed at conveying the timeless horrors of war without taking sides. I intend to pierce through current propaganda and dictated narratives to expose a raw reality.  – that war is a loss for everyone, regardless of who claims victory."

Norman is a true artist, devoting his life completely to his art. He spends much of his time in voluntary solitude, in his apartment in Oslo. A home which also functions as his workshop and studio. Here, the boundary between leisure and work ceases to exist.

- Morten Krogvold