Kaja Norum (born April 17, 1989) is a Norwegian model and figurativist painter. A former student and protégé of 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 ...

, Norum is devoted to Nerdrum's philosophy of Kitsch painting, and is a part of The Kitsch Movement spawned by Nerdrum. After the latter relocated to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in 2011, Norum is the primary caretaker of his gallery and his estate.

Early life and education

Born in

Lørenskog is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus Counties of Norway, county, Norway. A suburb of Oslo, it is part of the Oslo urban area and the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipa ...

. Norum graduated from the Lørenskog Waldorf School in 2005. From there she went to the Oslo Waldorf School graduating in 2008. Norum then relocated to

Stavern Stavern is a town in Larvik Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The town is located at the mouth of the Larviksfjorden along the Skagerrak coast, about south of the town of Larvik. Historically, Stavern was a self-governing municipality ...

in order to study under kitsch painter

at his seaside gallery.

Career

Painting

After studying under Nerdrum in Stavern for three years, Norum debuted with her own exhibition in June 2011. The exhibition, which consisted of figurative artworks turned out to be a success with the majority of the artworks being sold on the opening day. It attracted large attention with the most famous painting depicting comedian Sturla Berg-Johansen with an

erect penis An erection (clinically: penile erection or penile tumescence) is a Physiology, physiological phenomenon in which the penis becomes firm, engorged, and enlarged. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, ...

. The painting, ''"Homo ludens"'' valued at US$14.500, was sold to an anonymous buyer. It was speculated that the buyer was either hotel tycoon Petter Stordalen or business magnate

Stein Erik Hagen Stein Erik Hagen (born 22 July 1956) is a Norwegian businessman. He is chairman of Orkla, where he is a major shareholder, and holds large stakes in Steen & Strøm, Jernia and Komplett through his family company Canica. According to ''Forbe ...

, however it was later revealed that it was actually a gourmet restaurant in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

that had made the purchase. In August 2012 Norum opened her second exhibition, at the Gallery Soon in

Son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...

Vestby Vestby is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vestby. General information Name The municipality (originally the parish) is nam ...

Modeling

Norum has done modeling for the magazines ''

Det Nye ''Det Nye'' was a Norwegian language women's magazine based in Oslo, Norway. It was one of the oldest magazines published in the country. In November 2019 it went on online. History and profile ''Det Nye'' was first published in 1957. The target ...

'' and ''Alfa''. In January 2013 she appeared in the magazine ''Kamille'' doing nude photos.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norum, Kaja 1989 births Living people 21st-century Norwegian painters 21st-century Norwegian women artists Postmodern artists People from Lørenskog Waldorf school alumni Norwegian women painters Students of Odd Nerdrum