Culturality interview with Ingrid Larssen

26 March 2025

This week, we at Museum Nord Vesterålen conducted our second Culturality interview. Culturality is a Horizon Europe project where we will, among other things, map and interview craftsmen who build their business on old traditions and local ingredients.

This time the trip went to artist Ingrid Larssen at Stokmarknes. Ingrid, who has just had an exhibition in Sortland, is often inspired by the sea. By using waffle stitches on different types of textiles, such as wool and silk, and in combination with seaweed and kelp, she creates fantastic sea sculptures. When dyeing textiles, she uses plant dyeing, which is also an old method. The sculpture in the picture below is colored with sea urchin, which gives a beautiful pink color.

Photo: Ingrid Larssen

Ingrid Larssen receives the state’s artist grant and works as a full-time artist. In addition to local commissions and exhibitions, she also collaborates with artists abroad. Before long, she will travel to Canada to set up the exhibition The Blue Ribbon. The blue ribbon, or Atlantic Ocean if you will, is what binds our two countries together. Ingrid is also keen on reuse and saves on leftovers that can be used later.

Waffle stitching is a way of sewing that dates back to the Middle Ages. Ingrid Larssen uses this technique with mathematical accuracy on both large and small works. Below you can see a picture of a brooch with very small stitches.

Photo: Ingrid Larssen

If you are going to the doctor at Stokmarknes Hospital, there is a high probability that you are sitting and waiting by a work of art with large waffle seam pockets, and which covers an entire wall.

We thank Ingrid Larssen for giving us an insight into her work and wish her the best of luck on her journey.

This project has received funding by the European Union?s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101132628 ? CULTURALITY

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