After the performance and the lecture at the Grafill 07 event I had an oppotunity to do a two-day workshop with the students at The Oslo National Academy of the Arts. I have taught a course at Pratt some years ago but had never done "Workshop", so I was very excited about it. The topic of the workshop was "Character Design". My aim was to teach students how to develop characters out of something very personal experience and taste and still communicate your message into public. "Characters" have been main elements in my art work for a long time and the process I follow has always been very "personal", so I felt a little strange yet kinda relieved about sharing it with others. Sounds funny??

At the end of the second day all the students posted their characters on the wall and presented their characters. I think that each one of them did a amazing job (seriously). Reidar, the head of the design department, told me that the school is one of the hardest to get in in Norway. Each student came up with something very unique/personal and when they stood next to their characters you could easily tell that they belong to them. (I have this theory that characters resemble the artists that created them). Some students even managed to animate their characters within such short time and that also totally blew me away...

I would like to thank Reidar for orgazinzing this workshop and also taking me to have the best steak I have ever had!

5/12 Lecture at Frame x Frame (Grafill)

Next day after partying till 5:30Am I gave a lecture at "Frame x Frame" which was also part of the Grafill 07 event. I normally can't help getting a little nervous with speaking for a big crowd, but this time I was so tired and probably still had a bit of "fun" left in my system that I think I was more relaxed than ever. Hmm.. maybe I know what I should do next time... Anyways, I stayed for a while in the cafeteria after the lecture and I had a chance to talk to other lectureres and some audiences. It's always nice to talk to people and hear what they think about my work and get to know their work in person. For this event I would like to thank Tom-Erik organizing (and picked me up and dropped me off at the hotel since I ALWAYS get lost..). Thanks!

5/11/07 Grafill '07 at Oslo, VJing @ Grand Hotel

Photo by Marius Watz
I was invted to attend this year's Grafill, which is a leading organization for Graphic artists and Illustrators in Oslo. After the award party, "party" didn't end there. Grafill rented a suite at the Grand Hotel for the artists and staff for a private party and we all stayed up till 5:30AM partying again. Many thanks to Jinn-Mereth from Grafill having me there!