Kathrine Lindman Norwegian Jewelry: unique pieces of wearable art

By Maria Sødal Vole | Photos: Kathrine Lindman

The Norwegian jewellery artist and designer Kathrine Lindman has long been dedicated to artistic expression. Her jewellery brand, established almost 30 years ago, is known for its beautiful, unique designs inspired by Nordic nature.

A versatile designer and jewellery artist, Kathrine has had an interest in many different forms of artistic expression over the years. After graduating from the National Academy of the Arts in Oslo, she went on to found the brand Kathrine Lindman Norwegian Jewelry in 1996. Her distinctive pieces that draw on natural elements have seen great success in Norway and beyond.

“I enjoy experimenting and trying different things with my art and designs. There’s a huge amount of material to draw from and lots of exciting challenges,” Kathrine says. “I’m motivated by creating something new. It’s exciting to make unique pieces that take a different direction.”

Kathrine Lindman jewellery is known for being tactile, and many perceive the intricate designs as small pieces of wearable art. “I’d say my keen interest in colour shines through in my work, and some of my pieces make sounds, which adds a musical element,” Kathrine says.

Kathrine Lindman Norwegian Jewelry: unique pieces of wearable art

A piece called Ocean collier.

Inspired by nature

Kathrine finds a lot of inspiration in the wild and wonderful Norwegian nature and scenery. Born and raised in the idyllic small town of Kristiansund in the West of Norway, Kathrine has always been surrounded by the ocean. “Being born by the sea, fjords and mountains has certainly had an impact on me as an artist and designer,” she says. “Working with artistic expression, it’s easy to be influenced by what you see around you. I’ve always been interested in details, and I notice little things from the sea shore, trees, flowers, seeds…I repurpose what I see and turn it into jewellery or art.”

Kathrine’s work is heavily inspired by the beautiful materials, colours and colour palettes found in nature. Her signature ‘Seashell’ collection was developed in 2003. As the name suggests, the silver and enamel jewellery designs reference plants and wildlife in the sea. “I work with the materials that speak to me,” Kathrine says. “When I created the Seashell collection, I was spending time walking along the beach seeing so many beautiful shells, and I wanted to convey that natural beauty in my designs.”

Jewellery maker and designer Kathrine Lindman wearing Seashell breeze, a necklace in silver and enamel which was purchased by The Art Nouveau Centre in Ålesund in 2021

Kathrine lived and worked in Oslo for several years, where the grand Norwegian nature was still close at hand and provided plenty of inspiration for her work. However, upon moving back to her birthplace of Kristiansund seven years ago, she started to take an interest in seaweed. Since 2016, she has been experimenting with the organic material for art and jewellery, creating a new collection entitled ’Seaweed’.

The inspiration for ‘Seaweed’ came while Kathrine was travelling along the coast of Møre og Romsdal, the most northerly of the famous fjord regions in the west of Norway. “What I find so exciting about seaweed is that it’s a fascinating organic material,” she says. “It’s so versatile. Using something you find in nature and creating a beautiful expression from it is really interesting to me.”

A necklace from Kathrine’s Seaweed collection made from dried seaweed and casted in silver which was purchased by the National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Trondheim

International reach

Kathrine Lindman Norwegian Jewelry has received plenty of recognition both within Norway and internationally. Her signature ‘Seashell’ collection in particular has found great success. In fact, one of her pieces was purchased by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture for a very special purpose: the silver and enamel bracelet was given as an official gift to Michelle Obama when President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

“It was a huge honour, and it opened a lot of new doors for me,” Kathrine says. Alongside her signature collections, Kathrine also creates bespoke jewellery pieces upon request and is an artisan creating art jewellery which has been widely displayed. Following the presidential gift, Kathrine worked with a gallerist in New York for 10 years who brought her work to art fairs across the USA. In 2012, Kathrine’s jewellery was displayed at New York Fashion Week. Her pieces have also been featured at Saatchi Gallery in London, SOFA in Chicago and the LA Art Show in Los Angeles among others.

“I’m very happy that the ‘Seashell’ collection has been able to travel the globe,” Kathrine says. “It’s been exhibited, featured in galleries and represented by dealers almost all over the world – it’s really exciting to me that it’s still alive and well so many years later.”

Kathrine is a member of The Norwegian Association for Arts and Crafts, an organisation focused on supporting and promoting contemporary Norwegian craft artists. Her work has been purchased by two museums: Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum (The National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design) in Trondheim, and Jugendstilsenteret (The Art Nouveau Centre) and KUBE in Ålesund. Kathrine Lindman Norwegian Jewelry can be purchased on the official website or from a range of galleries and shops in Norway.