Cecilie Broch Knudsen (born 3 January 1950) is a Norwegian artist who was rector of the

Oslo National Academy of the Arts The Oslo National Academy of the Arts (, ''KHiO'') is a tertiary institution in Oslo, Norway, that provides education in visual arts, design and performing arts. It is one of two public institutes of higher learning in Norway that teaches in v ...

from August 2007 to August 2015. She was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

as a daughter of diplomat Ditlef Knudsen (1911–1981) and Anna Sophie Broch (1918–2000), and grew up in several countries where her father was stationed; Canada, Turkey, Thailand and Chile. She is a graduate of the National Academy of Craft and Art Industry, the National Academy of Fine Arts and the teachers' college ''Statens yrkespedagogiske høyskole''. She started her career as a painter, illustrator and graphic designer. From 1996 to 2007 she was the rector of '' Einar Granum Kunstfagskole'', a preparatory art school. In 2007 she edged out Anders Eiebakke to become the new rector of the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, a merger between two of the academies where she studied as well as three others. During her tenure as rector, the institution became fully co-located in the former Christiania Seildugsfabrikk. Knudsen has chaired the board of Trafo Art Hall in

Asker Asker (), also called Asker proper (''Askerbygda'' or ''gamle Asker'' in Norwegian), is a district and former Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus, Norway, located approximately 20km southwest of Oslo. From 2020 it is part of the ...

and has been a board member of the Jewish Museum in Oslo, and Talent Norway. Knudsen resides at

Uranienborg, Oslo Uranienborg is a neighborhood in the borough of Frogner in Oslo, Norway. History Originally a rural area in the former municipality Aker, it was incorporated into the city of Christiania (later Oslo) in 1859. The property used to have a wonder ...

. She was in a relationship to painter

Odd Nerdrum Odd Nerdrum (born 8 April 1944) is a Norwegian Figurative art, figurative painting, painter. A controversial figure in Norway, he is known for his anti-modernist stance. Themes and style in Nerdrum's work reference anecdote and narrative. Primar ...

from 1977 to 1991. Together, they had three daughters. Quarrels between Knudsen and Nerdrum have surfaced and reached national media on several occasions. In 2011, Nerdrum was on trial for tax fraud, and publicly accused Knudsen of tipping off the tax authorities. In 2014, she sued Nerdrum over the inheritance of Nerdrum's deceased mother's house.

References

1950 births Living people Norwegian expatriates in the United States Norwegian expatriates in Canada Norwegian expatriates in Turkey Norwegian expatriates in Thailand Norwegian expatriates in Chile 20th-century Norwegian illustrators 21st-century Norwegian illustrators Norwegian women illustrators 20th-century Norwegian painters 20th-century Norwegian women painters 21st-century Norwegian painters 21st-century Norwegian women painters Oslo National Academy of the Arts alumni Academic staff of the Oslo National Academy of the Arts Rectors of universities and colleges in Norway Norwegian women academics Women heads of universities and colleges {{Norway-artist-stub