We saw a very unusual art exhibit today in Lofthus, Norway, which is located on the shores of the Hardangerfjord, a region that is surrounded with snow capped mountains and captivating  fjords. Our elegant, old charm hotel is inches from the water and every room has a balcony view.

The Hardanger Folk Museum was a ferry ride away.  It didn’t look like much from the outside, but the works of Norwegian Karen Bit Vejle inside, were magical. 

Karen’s art pieces are called psalm graph, the creation of pictures on paper by cutting patterns and motifs. The psalm graphical work is formed by a large continuous piece of paper and is cut exclusively with scissors.

Each paper cut has its own story.  The stories have a message about peace and love among humans and other living things. They are very poetic.

I truly suggest you watch the video to find out how Karen was discovered (less an a decade ago) and what’s happened to her since. She is 59 years old and was born in Denmark. She uses her middle name Bit as the signature on her works and products. She lived in Trondheim in the years 1984 to 2014, and then moved back to Denmark.

Today she has assignments and exhibitions in the Nordic countries, Europe, the United States, and Asia. Adrian Sassoon of London is her art dealer. Karen also collaborated with Chinese paper artist Xiaoguang Qiao. Their work has been shown in several countries. Bit recently designed other products, such as blankets, tablecloths and tableware based on her paper clip patterns. It was a natural. 

It’s never too late to discover an inner talent. Karen is complete self-taught.