Kari Steihaug

In Kari Steihaug’s practice, the overlooked plays a significant role. Things that have been set aside, unfinished projects, and objects that are worn out or frayed are all carefully brought to the fore. This is evident in the choice of materials with which the textile artist works: in her work are worn-out woollen garments, faded curtains, unfinished knitwear, or even fragments of glass found on a beach, which she stores in archives and arranges in new contexts. The artist also uses techniques such as knitting, darning, tufting and crocheting; she unravels clothing, drawing or writing with the thread and allows it to twine in new directions.

In Steihaug’s works, found materials take on a new value and expanded meaning. Yet we also sense that the materials used carry within them myriad stories about lives once lived. By embracing imperfection, the works of Kari Steihaug become a counterbalance to the galloping consumer culture of our time.

The works create a space in which we as observers can immerse ourselves; they arouse associations and memories. Steihaug’s view of that which is often seen as worthless in our culture is contagious; she enables us to see with fresh eyes what surrounds us in our everyday lives. Some hundred mostly large format images provide an insight into her twenty-five-year artistic oeuvre exemplified in the broad spectrum of Steihaug’s works (including many details) and as seen in various exhibition views. Atmospheric photos from the artist’s surroundings from her studio on Hovedøya in the Oslo Fjord, for example, complement the wonderful visual ensemble. Texts in poetry and prose introduce Steihaug’s work and trace the contours of a multifaceted and rich artistic practice.