Maria Brinch

A deep-rooted interest for craft tradition and her many travels to Myanmar are two key elements that lie at the heart of Maria’s work. Specializing in tapestries, Maria creates wall hangings that emerge from photographs she takes, manipulating them through layers of ink and paint. She works across various surfaces, but her material of choice is wool. “It’s just such a lovely material to be close to. It absorbs color in its own unique way, almost as if it invites color, and the oil in the wool gives it a beautiful sheen. It’s a material that wants to be folded, it doesn’t resist in any way.”

On one of her trips to Myanmar, Maria encountered a woman who showed her something that stayed with her. The woman would take her freshly washed clothes, still wet, and hang them on various objects on her way to work, leaving them to dry, then take them down and fold them on her way back home. This is a core memory of hers, a moment she often returns to. “This act has impacted me profoundly - claiming space like that in public. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. To me, the clothes became like monuments, symbols of the presence of a people under oppression and governmental violence. Yet, through this textile language, the citizens physically took part in the city, creating space for themselves."

The act of folding can also take on mundane forms, but the feeling the act evokes in Maria is anything but. “Something as simple as folding a towel can give me goosebumps. By folding, I’ve just created more space—space for new ideas, feelings, or plans. And at the same time, I know I’m doing this alongside countless other women, who are also folding towels in their bathrooms. That sense of connection gives me a profound feeling, of care and maybe hope. Not in a grand, divine sense, but more like motivation. It’s a reminder that I’m part of something bigger, both as a woman and as a human being. We’re all doing these small, meaningful things together. I think I’ve learned this from being a craftsperson, working alongside others in places where we don’t share the same language, but communicate through our hands. I can weave, etch, and make silk prints, but ultimately, it all comes down to the relational values I've learned through craftsmanship."

Art and culture were naturally integrated in Maria’s everyday life growing up. Coming from a home where artistry was accepted and encouraged, enabled her way into pursuing it as a professional career. The urge to create and explore has been with her from an early age. “When I was young, in high school, I would often be late to parties because I was busy painting in my room. I would immerse myself and just lose track of time”.

For Maria’s own family of five, art does not take on a purely decorative form but also serve as functional objects that play a part in everyday life. From ceramics used as pedestals for the Friday tacos to textile wall-tapestries used as blankets for the children. The family have made their home in a charming apartment at Adamstuen in Oslo. A warm and inviting space, with yellow-painted walls, overlooking a backyard with massive oak trees.

Adding elements that can often be found in traditional Norwegian cabins, like the wooden kitchen with top cabinets and wall tapestries, they've transformed the space into a calm sanctuary where they can retreat from the hectic city. Ceramic sculptures and art in various forms adorn the living room, many objects gifted from friends in exchange for art pieces of her own. Maria is not opposed to living with her own art, and often brings tapestries home from the atelier “If I open a window or door, they flutter - they greet you. They’re part of the room.”

“My favourite spot is probably the big bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and a huge bed right up against them,” she says. “I often go in there with a book or just to watch the tram or the sunrise. I spend a lot of time there, but most of the time, I’m in the living room with my family. The kids come in here with all their toys. This is where it all happens.”

Maria is born and raised in Oslo. “I'm definitely a homebody. Considering how much time we spend at home; we could have relocated to a place outside the city centre. However, I really like knowing that others are using the city while we’re at home. It’s like we’re all taking turns keeping the urban energy alive, and I find that quite special. Even though I’m at home a lot, it’s reassuring to know that people are out there at the cool restaurants, clubs, theatres, and so on. It gives me a sense of cultural connection, like I’m still part of everything happening around us. I like that balance."

“A perfect day for me starts with a walk from home, passing through St. Hanshaugen, which feels like a small village, and continuing through the park and between the rows of townhouses at Fredensborg. From there, I make my way to the heart of the city, where my atelier is nestled among the buzz and energy of urban life. It’s the kind of walk that sets the tone for a good day. After a productive session at the studio, I’d change things up by taking a different route home, transitioning from the vibrant city streets into calmer surroundings.”

Maria’s connection to Ekstrem traces back to her childhood at her grandmother’s farmhouse in rural Norway, who had one when Maria was young. "I can’t really remember a life without it” she reminisces, recalling how they used to climb on it and play with it as kids. “It’s both an ergonomic gem, allowing you to sit in different ways, and has this beautiful sculptural quality without taking up too much space. It doesn’t make a lot of noise in a room. It’s funny, because even though it’s so bold, it’s also quite predictable in a way. As soon as I sit down, I feel settled in. It offers such great support; it feels really kind, in a way.”

“I’m really happy to have a chair like that at home, both for myself and my children. I also notice that whenever we have guests, it’s the chair everyone gravitates to, no matter their age. Whether it’s my grandmother or the one-year-old, they all want to sit in it. And, you can fit several people in it at once, one child on the armrest, another sitting on the edge. It invites people to gather, almost like a bonfire, and I really like that.”