Louise Nippierd (born 16 January 1962) is a British-Norwegian metal-and-jewellery artist, living in Oslo, Norway.
Biography Louise Nippierd was born and raised in England and moved to Norway with her Norwegian journalist mother and English father in 1967. Her father was a Commander in the Royal Navy on a 3-year contract with NATO in Bærum. During her first two years in Norway, Nippierd attended St. George's British School in Bærum, while her three siblings continued on at different boarding schools in England. In 1969 the family decided to stay in Norway, and Nippierd started at Smestad Primary SchoolSmestad.gs.oslo.no in Oslo, where several members of the Norwegian royal family, including King Harald V and Crown Prince Haakon Magnus, have also been pupils.
Nippierd took a goldsmith course in 1990 at the Elvebakken videregående skole College, and in 1991 she enrolled at the Metal Department of the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry (now Oslo National Academy of the Arts), where she gained a master's degree in 1996. Also in 1996, she founded the studio community NB 13, which she ran for 10 years and shared with other artist colleagues, including Andrew J. Barton. Between 1997 and 2005 Nippierd was a guest teacher at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, teaching courses in anodizing aluminium.
Nippierd's works have been purchased by several institutions, including Norsk Kulturråd Arts Council Norway.Norsk kulturråd – årsmelding 2004. page 48 and a commission for two small sculptures for the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Jewel of the Seas.
Artistic outlook Jewellery has traditionally been marketed purely in an aesthetic and decorative function, but Louise Nippierd also gives her jewellery an inherent ambiguity as the carrier of a deeper message.Norske Kunsthaandverkere Norwegian Association of Arts & Crafts – Louise Nippierd, Artist of the Month, June 2006 (in Norwegian). Her projects have a socio-political dimension, touching on issues such as racism, homosexuality, animal rights and eating disorders.Artitude 2008, pp. 5–6; 26 She attributes her concern with the marginalized groups in society to her own marginalized childhood as an English-speaking child in Norway.
Artistic materials Nippierd first started working with aluminium in 1994 and was very quickly fascinated by all the possibilities this material has, due to its light weight and ability to be coloured by anodizing. She specialised in this medium in her master's degree work and has subsequently gained an international reputation for her large anodized aluminium body-sculptures.Shape Swedish edition 2006, issue 1, page 20. (in Swedish) Nippierd's use of imitation fur as an artistic material serves to highlight her opposition to the cruelty of the fur trade and the use of animal fur in art and fashion.VG 19 November 2009. References Nippierd's anti-fur stance (interview in Norwegian and English)
Awards and grants 2002: Oslo Bys Kulturpris, Oslo Kommune – Oslo City Cultural Award.Oslo City Cultural Award , list of 2002 recipients (in Norwegian). 2004: Norwegian Goldsmiths' Association "Smykk Meg 2004" Design Competition – first prize.Norwegian Goldsmiths' Association Design Competition winners 2004 (in Norwegian) – includes photograph of model Vendela Kirsebom wearing Nippierd's prizewinning rings.Photograph of Nippierd's prizewinning "Hot" and "Cold" rings 2006: Statens materialstipend, Kulturdepartementet – (Norwegian) National Material Grant for ArtistsList of 2006 grant recipients Louise Nippierd is on page 17 Utstillingsstipend, Norsk Kulturråd – Exhibition Grant for Artists, Arts Council NorwayNorsk Kulturråd / Arts Council Norway list of 2006 grant recipients
Group exhibitions 1992: "Ring frei", International ring exhibition Galerie Zebra, Düsseldorf, (Germany)
1996: "Subjects 96" International jewellery art Retretti Galleri, Punkaharju, (Finland)
2001–2003: "2. Nordic Jewellery Triennial", Touring exhibition2. Nordic Jewellery Triennial , description of exhibition catalogue (in Danish). Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg (Sweden) 24 November 2001 – 27 January 2002 Museum of Applied Art Tallinn, Tallinn (Estonia) 23 February – 14 April 2002 Lahti City Museum, Lahti (Finland) 4 May – 6 June 2002 Kunstindustrimuseet, København (Denmark) 16 August – 29 September 2002 Hafnarborg Kulturcenter, Hafnarfjörður (Iceland) 9–24 November 2002 Sørlandet Art Museum, Kristiansand (Norway) 15 February – 23 March 2003Den andre Nordiske Smykketriennale
2002: Julekalender på Oslo S (Christmas Tree Advent Calendar in Oslo Central Station) 1–24 DecemberPhotos of Nippierd's treesNews article in boarding.no (in Norwegian)News article in Rom for kunst (in English)Interview with Louise Nippierd on Norwegian TV (in Norwegian)
2004: "Nordic Cool: Hot Women Designers" National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. (USA) 23 April – 12 NovemberMuseum press release and list of exhibitors.
2004: "Vakre bord- Design i tiden" ("Beautiful Tables-Today's Design") Oslo City Museum, Oslo (Norway)
2004–2005: "Schmuck aus Norwegen" Grassi Museum für angewandte Kunst, Leipzig (Germany) 25 November 2004 – 27 February 2005Museum retrospective (in German). Does not include the names of the exhibitors.
2005: "Maker-Wearer-Viewer", International, Touring exhibitionCunningham, Jack. Maker, wearer, viewer : contemporary narrative European jewellery. Glasgow School of Art, 2005. .Exhibition information from the Scottish Arts Council.Reading jewellery. Comments on narrative jewellery. commentary by Liesbeth den Besten, including exhibition dates The Mackintosh Gallery, Glasgow (Scotland) 5 March – 12 AprilGlasgow School of Art press release. The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh (Scotland) 1–29 June Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen (Netherlands) 3 October – 24 November
2005–2006: "Conceptual Crafts: New Art from Norway", Touring exhibition, England Usher Gallery, Lincoln Harley Gallery, Worksop Gallery Oldham, Oldham 20 August – 12 NovemberGallery Oldham press release. includes photograph of Nippierd's Secret Sorrows
2005–2006: "Norwegian Contemporary Crafts", Touring exhibition, UKCrichton-Miller, Emma. North Stars Crafts 2005 Mar–Apr 193: 32–36 Nippierd's work is discussed on page 35 Flow Gallery, London, (England) 17 February – 3 April 2005Flow Gallery press release. The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh (Scotland) Clotworthy Arts Centre, Antrim (Northern Ireland) Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen (Wales)
2007: "SMUKT!" ("GORGEOUS!") Norwegian Jewellery from the 21st Century. Nord Norsk Kunstnersenter (North Norwegian Regional Art Center) 22 June – 26 AugustExhibition information (in Norwegian)Smukt! Norsk smykkekunst fra 2000-tallet = Gorgeous! Norwegian jewellery from the 21st century. – Svolvaer: Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter, 2007. – . (Exhibition brochure in Norwegian and English)
2008–2009: "Artitude – kroppsmykker" Kunstbanken, Hamar (Norway) 15 November 2008 – 11 January 2009Article by Lars Elton in VG 31 December 2008 (in Norwegian). Includes some photographs of Nippierd's works.
2009: "Irreverent: Contemporary Nordic Craft Art" Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco (USA) 23 January – 12 AprilBrief description of exhibition on ArtSlant. Includes list of exhibitors and some photographs of Nippierd's works.Blog item in Norway.com 27 January 2009. Includes photograph of Nippierd's Secret Sorrows and a reference to an article by Jean SchiffmanEvent listing in Nordstjernan. Includes photographs of Nippierd's Secret Sorrows and Wild at HeartEvent liting on Norway.org Includes a photograph of Nippierd's Secret SorrowsReview in The Rumpus 27 January 2009.
2011: "Hodepryd og øyenslyst" ("Fancy Headgear and Delights for the Eye") Oslo City Hall Gallery, Oslo, Norway. Guest exhibitor with the Norwegian Hatmakers 10th Anniversary Jubilee.
Themed solo exhibitions 1997: Master's Degree "New Talents" Exhibition "With sensuous signals shall the body be adorned" (Homosexuality) Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Oslo (Norway)
1999: "Cross" (Eating disorders)Artitude 2008 Expo Arte Smykkegalleri, Oslo (Norway) 10 September – 16 OctoberEvent listing.
2001: "Incognito" (Islamic) Rogaland Kunstnersenter, (Regional Art Center) Stavanger, (Norway) 13 September – 18 OctoberEvent listing.
2002: "SeaSons" (Water)Event listings for Louise Nippierd. Bærum Kunsthåndverk, Bærum (Norway) 23 February – 24 March
2002–2004: "All different All equal" (Anti-racism) KunstnerSenteret i Buskerud, (Regional Art Center) Drammen (Norway) 12 October – 9 November 2002 Haugesund Art Gallery, Haugesund (Norway) 14 September – 5 October 2003Information about the exhibition (in Norwegian). Includes a photo of one of Nippierd's exhibits Galleri Texas, Ås (Norway) 7 February 2003 – 4 March 2004
2003: "Zoo" (Animal rights & anti-fur) Hå gamle prestegård, (art gallery), Hå, (Norway)
2007: "As time goes by" (Fashion & history) Møre og Romsdal Kunstnersenter (Regional Art Center) Molde, (Norway) 9 June – 8 JulyEvent listing on listen.no Galleri Harald Kjeldaas, Oslo, (Norway)
References
External links Louise Nippierd: Metal Art – Body Sculpture – Jewellery (page in Norwegian and English) Interview with Louise Nippierd by Kirsti Hovland in VG 19 November 2009 (in Norwegian and English) Interview with Louise Nippierd by Heidi Borud in Aftenposten 13 May 2006 (in Norwegian) Entry for Louise Nippierd on kulturnett.no (in Norwegian) (in English) Metalcyberspace Jewelry Metal artists N-O Entry for Louise Nippierd on CLARA Database of Women Artists Virtual Gallery of Contemporary Jewellery