Tove Hertzberg – Creating art in Norway for the world

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Galleri Tove

Located in the region of Lillesand off the southern coast of Norway, Tove Hertzberg capitalises on her proximity to water to explore one of the themes most important in her paintings – the sea.

Hertzberg, a Norwegian artist creating images that are simultaneously feminine, strong, and vulnerable, exhibits her work on both her online platform Galleri Tove and in her summer gallery on Brekkestø, near the inland waterways of Lillesand.

“I was born creative and have been living and working as an artist since January 2012,” says Hertzberg. “In order to create a permanent space for my art, my website, Galleri Tove, was established in March 2012. Besides exhibiting my work internationally and in my exhibition space, Galleri Tove is the place where I communicate all the work I’ve done.”

Tove Hertzberg – Creating art in Norway for the world

Swans and female images are at the centre of the painting The Swans.

The connection between the sea and women

Galleri Tove is rich in colourful paintings that delve into what it means to be female and what it means to be alive. “I work in large formats,” says Hertzberg. “What preoccupies me is the sea and women and what they have in common. I explore what is life-giving, both what is available and what is perhaps unused. I want to portray female images from the inside out and draw parallels between the sea and the woman, as well as the patient, unbalanced feminine against a masculine world.”

Tove Hertzverg’s painting entitled, The light from a 1000 Brillant Suns II.

Often, Hertzberg feels that the paintings that have come to her organically are the most popular and sell immediately. “There is something about authenticity,” she muses. “I always think that when I create a work dedicated to someone very special, it will find its owner when the time is right.”

Hertzberg contemplates her art in her gallery. Private Photo

Water at the centre of her creativity

Hertzberg is also interested in the interplay between the sea and light. “Every day, I go down to the beach,” she says. “I find peace and study the movements and interaction between the water and the sky. I collect water samples and create crystallographic images, inspired by Veda Austin in New Zealand and Masaru Emoto from Japan. Here, I find a voice that manifests itself in the form of geometry and messages. I choose to bring them out and present them in my art.”

The artist, Tove Hertzberg. Photo: Anne Day

A special place to live and visit

Hertzberg has lived on the island for five years and still wonders at her surroundings and revels in exploring them. “Living on a small island with water around you on all sides gives you a very special feeling, to hear the sea roaring and the waves crashing. I yearned for this all my life,” she says. “The area comes alive in the summer. Many people have holiday homes here or they travel to southern Norway to experience our coasts. It’s also a natural destination for boat tourists from all over the country. It’s been wonderful to have my gallery here and to create a space for visitors where art can be experienced and enjoyed.” Information on the gallery’s plans for summer 2024 can all be found on the website.

Tove Hertzberg’s painting of a mother and the sea, entitled Maria.

An international customer base

Hertzberg’s iconic paintings have proven popular, both on her website and her summer gallery. “I have an exclusive customer group, but I’m working to expand my sphere of influence, she states. “My pictures have been exhibited and sold in a number of countries, including the USA, Spain, Switzerland, and Denmark. I am currently looking for collaborations with new galleries around the world.”

Art can save the world

Though she thinks an artistic life can at times depend on being alone and withdrawn, Hertzberg does not see this as being lonely. As she sees it, the experience of thinking about art and creating it means completely immersing yourself in your own universe. “I am with nature and my family. I am not part of an artistic community, but I feel fulfilled,” she says. Hertzberg also feels that art brings good things to the whole world. “Art is emotion,” Hertzberg exclaims. “I really believe art is the last form of hope as it stands today. My aim is to put together a world exhibition in collaboration with other artists, where life-giving art and beauty get a place. I want to create good feelings in this world, helping people to remember who we are. We are life!”