Åse Pedersen

Åse Grethe Selberg Pedersen (née Johansen), born on March 2, 1922, in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, was a notable textile artist who began her formal education in textile arts later in life. She studied at the Statens lærerskole i forming (State Teachers’ College for Arts and Crafts) in Oslo from 1968 to 1970, where she was mentored by Maria Koppen and Sunniva Lønning. Their emphasis on material and technique significantly influenced Pedersen’s approach to tapestry weaving.

Pedersen played a role in revitalizing Norwegian weaving traditions. She typically worked within traditional formats, primarily using wool, occasionally incorporating linen, nylon, and silk. Within these self-imposed constraints, she experimented with form, color, and textural contrasts, employing techniques such as transparency. By dyeing the warp threads, she achieved a three-dimensional effect. In works like “Reisen” and “Det søte liv” (1984), she left the warp threads exposed; in “Tidevann,” she alternated between open areas and woven sections. In “Skog,” she used the warp threads as horizontal connectors between vertical woven columns of varying thickness.

Her piece “Energikilde” (1982), a wall tapestry created using gobelin technique with linen warp and wool, nylon, and silk weft, is part of the collection at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo.

Pedersen’s works are included in several public collections, such as the Norwegian Cultural Council, Oslo Municipality’s art collections, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Den norske Industribank, Elektrisk Bureau in Oslo, and Nordic Bank in London.

Throughout her career, she participated in various exhibitions, including the Autumn Exhibition (Høstutstillingen) in 1976, 1977, and 1980, and the Eastern Norway Exhibition (Østlandsutstillingen) in 1979, 1980, 1982, and 1983. She was also involved in the “Norwegian Textile Now” exhibition at the Kunstindustrimuseet in Oslo (1971–1972) and the Nordic Textile Triennial, a traveling exhibition in the late 1970s.

Pedersen was a member of various professional organizations, including the Young Artists’ Society (Unge Kunstneres Samfunn) and the Norwegian Textile Artists (Norske Tekstilkunstnere).

Her contributions have been instrumental in renewing Norwegian weaving traditions, and her works continue to be recognized for their innovative use of materials and techniques.