Bjørnsonfestival exhibition
To Sharpen a Pen Satirical drawing
With Siri Dokken / Ali Dorani aka Eaten Fish / Roar Hagen / Mette Hellenes.
The world’s cartoonists have been at the forefront as defenders of freedom of expression and have in the most serious way paid a high price for their work.
In 2020, the Ossietzky Prize was awarded to everyone who works with cartoons and satire in Norway with the following reasons:
“The idea of satire drawing is to put the utterance at the forefront. It is by nature sharp and at best painfully accurate. The satire drawing finds its nourishment in the fringe zone of freedom of expression. That is why the satire drawing is not only commendable, it´s also worthy of protection. " (Board of Norwegian PEN)
At the same time, parts of POLARIZATION are also on display, this is an exhibition of artists specializing in satirical cartoon at The Norwegian cartoonists’ house with the theme of polarization, where the artists themselves interpreted the word – be it political, social, ideological or otherwise. Works by, among others, Ahmed Falah, Finn Graff and many more. The exhibition was produced with the prize money from the Ossietzky Prize 2020, awarded by Norwegian PEN for outstanding efforts for freedom of expression for satirists in Norway.
Siri Dokken is a Norwegian award-winning newspaper cartoonist, illustrator, and professor of newspaper satire drawing at Oslo National Academy of the Arts , Dep. Of design since 2017 . She is especially known for her sharp portraits, political caricatures and evocative observations. She has participated in a number of exhibitions, including The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery and the Norwegian Cartoonists’ Association. Her works have been purchased by the National Gallery / The National Museum. Dokken was educated at the Norwegian School of Crafts and Design, with a major in 1993. Her debut as a newspaper cartoonist came in 1994 for the weekly newspaper Dag og Tid. From 1995 she has been a regular cartoonist in Dagsavisen. She has also drawn a number of caricature portraits for the literary magazine Vinduet. Siri Dokken has received several awards, the Sproing Award 1994 for Kongens Mann, the Swedish EWK Award in 2005 and the Ministry of Culture’s debut award for children’s and young people’s literature in 2010. She has also won the Newspaper Drawing of the Year award twice, in 2007 and in 2011. In 2013 she drew the motif for the commemorative coin for the celebration of women gaining universal suffrage in 1913. In an interview In connection with her employment at KHIO, she said of satire drawing that “It is the stand-up of visual art”
Ali Dorani(also known as Eaten Fish is an Iranian cartoonist, activist and blogger.
Since 2017 he is an artist in residence with Friby Stavanger/ICORN, based at Stavanger kulturhus Sølvberget, where he arrived through ICORN’s program for persecuted artists and writers.
Prior to this, he spent five years in an Australian refugee prison camp on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, and his work as a satirist has been about documenting and communicating living conditions in refugee camps based on his own experiences.
He gained global recognition for the cartoons he created while being detained in an Australian-run immigration center on Manus Island for four years. Dorani adopted the pen-name ‘Eaten Fish’ after his boat sank in the Indian Ocean during an attempt to seek asylum in Australia. After the sinking Dorani was saved, but taken into custody as a refugee. Dorani’s drawings focused on conditions on Manus Island, recording life in the refugee camp, and promoting his case through his work. In 2021 he was awarded Fritt Ord working grant for satirical cartoonists.
Roar Hagen (born 15 April 1954) is a Norwegian illustrator.
He was born in Ørsta, and started his newspaper career in Sunnmørsposten in 1975. He went on to Stavanger Aftenblad from 1978 to 1986 and Verdens Gang since 1986. Through his connection to the Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate in New York City he has been published in Die Zeit, International Herald Tribune, Der Spiegel, Newsweek, Time Magazine and the like. He won the Editorial Cartoon of the Year award in 1997. He has also illustrated books.
Roar Hagen (born 15 April 1954) is a Norwegian illustrator.
He was born in Ørsta, and started his newspaper career in Sunnmørsposten in 1975. He went on to Stavanger Aftenblad from 1978 to 1986 and Verdens Gang since 1986. Through his connection to the Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate in New York City he has been published in Die Zeit, International Herald Tribune, Der Spiegel, Newsweek, Time Magazine and the like. He won the Editorial Cartoon of the Year award in 1997. He has also illustrated books.
Mette Hellenes is a Norwegian visual artist and cartoonist.
She graduated as a visual artist from the Statens kunstakademi in Oslo in 1990 and Statens Håndtverks og Kunstindustriskole in 1985. In 2020, she received the award for Comic of the Year at the Oslo Comix Expo for “Burning Babe” and a diploma of the most beautiful books of the year for the same book. In 2016, she won the most beautiful book of the year’s gold award in the category Picture books for adults with the book “Cyclopsommer” in 2015, she received the Oslo City Artist Award and in 2021 she is awarded Fritt Ords working grant for satirical cartoonists ( shared grant with Vanessa Baird) Mette Hellenes has also made films such as «All about my Father 2002,« You bad animal. Can you leave me alone just for one minute? » And “I see an angel, I think its you” 2004, “Close your eyes” animated film In 2005. Mette Hellenes’ works have been purchased by, among others: CODE Bergen 2019, 2Norwegian Cultural Council (book) 2017 Ministry of Culture 2017,2016 and 2015, National Gallery 2003, Norwegian Cultural Council 2002, Riksutstillingene 2000, Museum of Contemporary Art 2000, Gallery Wang 2000 Hellenes has also made public art projects for The emergency message center in Drammen 2013 and Terningmoen camp 2014. Her work has been shown in numerous separate and group exhibitions, among others: Kunsthall Stavanger 2021, CODE 2, Bergen, 2018/19, The Norwegian Cartoonists House 2019, 2013, 2012, ARTendal, Bomuldsfabrikken Arendal 2018, Punkt Ø, Gallery F 15 2016/17, Gallery SG Trondheim (with Vanessa Baird) 2014, Kunstnerforbundet 2011 Grafill 2009 Touring exhibition Norske Kunstforeninger / Tegnerforbundet 2011-2010