Painting from the Head or the Heart: Ornament, Identity, and Expression (Webinar)
Webinar Details
- Schedule: May 6 (7:00-8:00 pm CT)
- Location: This was an event held live in Vesterheim Commons and livestreamed on Zoom for an online audience.
- Speaker: Mona Stenseth
Description
What does it mean to truly carry a tradition forward?
In this lecture, Norwegian artist and psychotherapist Mona Stenseth explores the difference between reproducing tradition and expressing through it.
Working at the intersection of identity and ornament, Stenseth approaches rosemaling not as decoration, but as a living language—shaped through rhythm, repetition, and human experience. Drawing from both her artistic practice and her background in expressive therapy, she reflects on how tradition is learned, internalized, and transformed across generations.
What happens when we paint from the head—following rules, techniques, and established forms? And what becomes possible when we shift into the body and allow intuition, presence, and personal expression to guide the work?
Rather than asking how tradition can be preserved unchanged, this talk asks a more urgent question: how does tradition continue through people?
Bringing a contemporary perspective from Norway, Stenseth invites audiences into a deeper reflection on belonging, authorship, and what it means to make tradition your own.
Registration Instructions
This Webinar has past but is now available on our YouTube channel here. Check out our current and upcoming classes for other opportunities to join!