Project: Lofoten
“Project: Lofoten” is the result of an artistic collaboration between HM Queen Sonja and Lars Lerin. The series comprises graphic prints with motifs from the northern Norwegian landscape. The works have been created through close collaboration between the two artists, and several of them bear both of their signatures.
For many years, Queen Sonja has worked with printmaking, often inspired by nature and the landscapes of Northern Norway. Throughout much of his artistic career, Lars Lerin has turned his gaze towards Lofoten, where the shifting light and weather has left a lasting impact on his work. Together they have explored the rhythms of nature and created works that unite two distinct artistic voices in a shared poetic interpretation.
In the printing process itself, the Queen and Lerin worked both together and separately, creating layers within the same image. The result is a seamless merging of the two artists’ expressions. The title “Project: Lofoten” refers both to the specific geographical location and to the shared artistic project. The series is a tribute to the landscape of the north, and to printmaking’s ability to open up space for collaboration, interpretation and mutual inspiration.
In addition to this collaboration, the exhibition includes works by HM Queen Sonja produced at Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE) on Long Island, New York. Presented are the lithographs Green Gaze and Blue Gaze. Both works are based on a photographic image of a snow-covered branch. The prints explore the relationship between positive and negative forms, demonstrating how in the lithographic process, the use of greasy crayons and tusche allows for subtle shifts in texture, and contours.
Also presented is Sne-serie I (Snow-series I), a photographic series printed on handmade paper. The images depict the snow-covered Norwegian landscape, where the tactile qualities of the paper become an important part of the visual expression.
Through these works, different print and image-making techniques come together, highlighting the Queen’s continued exploration of material processes and the varied possibilities within contemporary printmaking.
HM Queen Sonja
HM Queen Sonja, born in 1937, has maintained a lifelong passion for art and culture. The Queen has actively promoted Norwegian art and design, serving as a dedicated collector and supporter of visual art, as well as art and crafts. The Queen has also engaged in personal artistic expressions, drawing upon her extensive knowledge and love for various artistic techniques.
Since her public debut in 2011, Queen Sonja has been featured in numerous exhibitions across Norway and abroad. Notable solo exhibitions include showcases at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2015), and KODE, Berger (2017). Queen Sonja has also participated in exhibitions at prestigious venues such as Scandinavian House in New York, as well as venues in Aarhus and London. Throughout her career, Queen Sonja has collaborated with esteemed artists such as Kjell Nupen, Magne Furuholmen, and Ørnulf Opdahl, as well as renowned master printers such as Rasmus Urwal of Edition Copenhagen in Denmark, Ole Larsen of Atelje Larsen in Sweden, and Bill Goldston of Universal Limited Art Edition in Long Island, New York.
Lars Lerin
Lars Lerin, born in 1954 in Munkfors in Värmland, Sweden, is widely regarded as one of the leading watercolor painters in the Nordic region. Known for his atmospheric landscapes and architectural motifs, Lerin’s work often depicts nature, coastal environments, interiors, and scenes inspired by his travels and encounters with people.
Lerin studied at Gerlesborg School of Fine Art (1974–1975) and later at Valand Academy in Gothenburg from 1980 to 1984. During much of the 1990s he lived and worked in Lofoten, where his depictions of fishing villages and coastal landscapes established a strong connection to northern Norway in his artistic practice.
Today Lerin lives and works on Hammarö outside Karlstad. Over several decades he has exhibited extensively in the Nordic countries and internationally, and his work is represented in numerous public and private collections.
