Works by Norwegian ceramist are part of museum collections on three continents

Trude Westby Nordmark

Trude Westby Nordmark is represented in Shigaraki, Japan, Foshan, China, and the oldest applied arts museum in Scandinavia

Norwegian ceramist and sculptor Trude Westby Nordmark has built a solid career transforming public spaces into more humane environments through art. Trained at the State School of Arts and Crafts (SHKS) with a master’s degree in ceramics, the artist has accumulated more than 30 artistic projects in schools, daycare centers, nursing homes, and health centers throughout Norway.

Her work is part of the collections of internationally renowned museum institutions. The Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum in Trondheim — one of the most important applied arts museums in Scandinavia, founded in 1893 — acquired her works in 2001 and 2002 through the prestigious Contemporary Arts and Crafts Fund. The Museum of Contemporary Arts and Crafts in Oslo, a national reference in contemporary design and craftsmanship, also incorporated the artist’s pieces into its permanent collection in 2001.

Min hemmelige hage / My secret garden / Format Oslo – Photo Thomas Tveter

Internationally, Nordmark is represented at the Foshan Museum in China, one of the leading institutions dedicated to ceramics in the Asian country, which acquired her works in 2002. In Japan, her pieces have been part of the collection of the Contemporary Art Museum of Shigaraki since 1999, a ceramics-specialized center located in one of the country’s most storied ceramic regions, known for its production dating back to the 13th century.

Nordmark’s work stands out for its careful analysis of the character and identity of each space before creation begins. “I consider the overall character of the location before developing ideas. The impact of the space on the artistic projects and the interaction between them are important to me,” says the artist, who maintains her studio at Trafo Kunstnerhus in Oslo.

Druen, Farsund barneskole – Photo Kai Wilhem Nessler

Among her most notable projects is Ladeparken in Trondheim, developed between 2008 and 2011 in collaboration with Asplan Viak A/S. The public park in the Sirkustomta area was awarded best public gathering place in Norway in 2013, cementing the artist’s reputation on the national stage.

Her work is especially concentrated in educational and care environments. In recent years, she has developed projects for Brøttum School in the municipality of Ringsaker (2013–14), Bø Upper Secondary School (2013), and daycare centers in Oslo, such as Rønningordet (2012–13) and Radarveien (2011–12). In 2017, she initiated a project for the Haugmotunet nursing home in the municipality of Notodden.

SILDRE – Kraft, 2018

Nordmark’s academic background includes a master’s degree in ceramics from SHKS (1991–94), a subsequent specialization (1994–96), and an exchange program at the Reykjavik School of Arts and Crafts in Iceland (1993). This strong technical foundation allowed her to explore different expressive possibilities of ceramic materials across varied contexts.

Beyond museum collections, the municipalities of Trondheim and Trondheim County also hold the artist’s works in their public collections, acquired in 2002 and 2003, respectively, reflecting the institutional recognition of her output.

Her exhibition history combines solo and group shows. She held solo exhibitions at the Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum (2002), the GOED WERK center in Belgium (2003), and the Buskerud Art Center (2018), the latter in collaboration with Gunhild Vatn. Among group exhibitions, she participated in the Triennial at the Museum of Fine Arts in Oslo (2007), the “Ceramics Now” exhibition (2001), and shows in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the United States, and Mali.

Melting – Uten Tittel

During her stay in Japan from January to April 1999, Nordmark served as a jury member at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, an experience that deepened her dialogue with Eastern ceramic traditions and influenced her subsequent work.

The recognition of Nordmark’s work is reflected in the grants she has received throughout her career. In 2014, she was awarded a 10-year working grant for established artists, one of the most prestigious distinctions in Norway’s arts support system. She had previously received working grants of three years (2004), two years (2010), and grants for young artists (1998 and 2000).

Alongside her artistic output, she maintains teaching and training activities. Between 2016 and 2018, she served as a part-time professor at HIOA (Oslo Metropolitan University) in the Ceramics department. She developed continuing education courses for sculpture teachers (2013–15) and led workshops at Trafo Kunstnerhus (2015–17). In 2002, she was invited to lead a workshop in Foshan, China.

The artist has also developed pilot projects in arts education, including “Firing Up” at Tonsenhagen School (2016) and Veitvet School (2017) in Oslo, and participated in related conferences in Bodø (2017) and at KHIO (2015).

Nordmark has been a member of the Norwegian Sculptors’ Association and Norwegian Visual Artists since 2008 and has belonged to Norwegian Crafts since 1996. Between 2009 and 2013, she served on the board of RAM Gallery.

She continues her work in public space interventions, with an ongoing project for the Stord nursing home in the municipality of Stord, initiated in 2019.