Beyond the Blue
Mural on concrete
Collaboration with Vigdis Fjellheim
Photo: Trond Isaksen / Inger Gogstad
Supported by Sparebankstiftelsen and Oslo Municipality’s Cultural Agency
Expansive color landscapes unfold across the concrete surfaces of Lusetjern School’s playground. Layered fields of color suggest depth and perspective, gradually fading into misty blue hues—reminiscent of distant mountain ranges. Upon closer inspection, these bluish forms reveal the profiles of children’s faces. These silhouettes are based on real students at the school, making the children themselves the foundational element of the mural’s composition.
Horizontal color bands are punctuated by vertical tableaux—scenes where elements from flora, fauna, and the human figure are reimagined into hybrid forms. These fantastical assemblages, inspired by fairy tales and folklore, dissolve hierarchies between species and status. Nature and humanity coexist in poetic symmetry, where plants are personified and animals are granted surreal qualities.
Drawing from recognizable visual traditions across all four corners of the world, the work seeks to cultivate a sense of belonging for every student, regardless of their background or cultural identity. It is a symbolic landscape in which diversity and imagination thrive side by side.
The mural is also an architectural response. Inspired by the curved concrete walls that define and divide the schoolyard into zones, the artwork emphasizes these forms through color. One dominant wall is washed in blues near the main entrance, while the opposite zone is rich in shades of green. Together, these color-coded realms help orient and define space—offering students a sense of place, wonder, and welcome.