Nordic Noir on paper

By Signe Hansen

Bringing together around 150 works from 100 different artists, Nordic noir: works on paper from Edvard Munch to Mamma Andersson celebrates the rich tradition of printmaking across the Nordic region. On display at the British Museum in London, the exhibition features artists such as Edvard Munch and Olafur Eliasson, drawing on one of the finest collections of Nordic works on paper outside the region.

The exhibition is the culmination of a five-year collecting strategy dedicated to strengthening the British Museum’s holdings of post-war Nordic art. While Scandinavia is sometimes perceived as culturally homogenous, Nordic noir deliberately challenges that notion. Instead, it highlights the individual characteristics, histories and artistic approaches of the Nordic countries, while also addressing shared themes that cut across borders.

The Fallow Deer, 2016, Mamma Andersson. Reproduced by permission of the artist © The Trustees of the British Museum. Handprinted colour woodcut on rice paper.

Jennifer Ramkalawon, curator of modern and contemporary Nordic graphic art at the British Museum, describes the project as an extended process of discovery. “This project was a five-year voyage of discovery,” she says. “These countries have so much creativity to offer, with contemporary artists exploring themes of nature, the environment, identity and heritage.” She adds that many of the artists featured are well known in their home countries, but less familiar to international audiences. “This exhibition aims to showcase the incredible array of talent from the Nordic lands to a wider UK and international audience – many of them are on display for the first time.”

That ambition is underpinned by a landmark collecting initiative supported by a substantial grant from the AKO Foundation. The programme resulted in the acquisition of almost 400 works by Nordic artists, significantly expanding the Museum’s collection and building on the Nordic prints purchased during the 1990s. Together, these acquisitions form the foundation of the exhibition and reflect a long-term commitment to preserving Nordic graphic art for future generations.

My Mother, 2019 Vanessa Baird. Reproduced by permission of the artist © The Trustees of the British Museum. Watercolour

From Munch to the present day

The exhibition opens with two woodcut prints by Edvard Munch, one of the most influential and internationally recognised artists to emerge from the Nordic region. From this starting point, the exhibition follows a chronological narrative, exploring how graphic art flourished and evolved after Munch’s death in 1944. Prints and drawings from 1945 to the present day reveal how later generations of artists have engaged with, extended and challenged his legacy of emotional intensity and artistic experimentation.

Don’t look to the horizon – look down and around, 2024, Olafur Eliasson. Courtesy of the artist and i8 Gallery, Reykjavik © The Trustees of the British Museum. Watercolour and glacial ice

As the exhibition unfolds, visitors encounter a wide range of themes. Nature appears as a recurring presence, often accompanied by a strong sense of urgency around environmental preservation. Fjords, mountains and forests are not simply depicted as landscapes, but as spaces bound up with identity, memory and responsibility. Other works delve into Norse mythology, inner struggles with mental health, post-war anxiety and the shadow of the Cold War. Feminism and the rights of the Indigenous Sámi people also emerge as important threads, reflecting the social and political concerns that have shaped Nordic societies in the post-war period.

Alongside Munch, featured artists include Mamma Andersson, Olafur Eliasson, John Savio, Vanessa Baird, Yuichiro Sato, Fatima Moallim and John Kørner. Seen together, their works demonstrate not a single Nordic style, but a rich plurality of voices, techniques and perspectives.

Untitled, 2016, Per Kirkeby. Reproduced by permission of the artist’s estate © The Trustees of the British Museum. Monotype in green, yellow and black ink

Preserving art for future generations

Xerxes Mazda, director of collections at the British Museum, places the exhibition in a longer institutional context. “It has been almost 30 years since the British Museum devoted a show to Nordic graphic art,” he says. “Thanks to the generosity of AKO Foundation, we have been able to build one of the best collections of Nordic art outside the region, investing in and exploring how artists such as Mamma Andersson have developed the legacy of an artist like Edvard Munch.” He emphasises that Nordic noir also reflects the Museum’s broader mission: “The collecting strategy behind it showcases the British Museum’s commitment to acquiring works for the nation, preserving the work of both up-and-coming and established artists for future generations.”

Fiskere, 1942, Henrik Finne. Reproduced by permission of the artist’s estate © The Trustees of the British Museum. Colour woodcut

With only a limited time left to see it, the exhibition is a must for art lovers living in or visiting London who wish to explore Nordic art beyond the familiar names and discover the graphic traditions that continue to shape it today.

Nordic noir: works on paper from Edvard Munch to Mamma Andersson is a free exhibition and runs from 9 October 2025 to 22 March 2026 in Room 90 at the British Museum.

Understanding the Impact of Architecture 12, 2020, John Kørner. Reproduced by permission of the artist © The Trustees of the British Museum. Colour lithograph

Nordic noir: works on paper from Edvard Munch to Mamma Andersson is a free exhibition and runs from 9 October 2025 to 22 March 2026 in Room 90 at the British Museum.

Web: www.britishmuseum.org

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