My art's raison d'être

My art's raison d'être lies in the exquisite marriage of ancient technique and contemporary vision. Working with egg tempera—a medium that has graced masterpieces since medieval times—allows me to create luminous depths and subtle nuances that modern materials simply cannot replicate. This painstaking process, where pure pigments are bound with egg yolk, demands both precision and patience.

Steeped in generations of artistic heritage and fortified by my studies in art history, history and anthropology, I approach each piece as a dialogue between tradition and innovation. The translucent layers of egg tempera build slowly, much like the layers of meaning within each work—creating surfaces that seem to glow from within, revealing new details with each viewing.

My pieces invite collectors to explore this intersection of historical craftsmanship and contemporary expression. Each work represents countless hours of meticulous technique, resulting in paintings that possess both the timeless luminosity of Renaissance masterpieces and the intellectual depth of modern art.

"Spotted", from the Confrontations Series

The alchemy of egg tempera—where raw pigments meet egg yolk—transcends mere technique to become a meditation on art's timeless nature. This ancient medium, which brought life to Egyptian tombs and Renaissance masterpieces, allows me to create paintings with a luminosity that modern materials simply cannot achieve.

What drives my devotion to egg tempera is its unforgiving nature and extraordinary rewards. Each layer dries within moments, demanding decisive brushwork and clear vision. The result? Paintings with an otherworldly depth and a matte finish that seems to capture light itself. Working with raw pigments, carefully ground by hand, I participate in a ritual that connects me to every artist who has practiced this craft since antiquity.

This medium's versatility continues to astound me—from gossamer-thin glazes that create subtle color transitions to bold, textural statements. In my studio, these age-old techniques meet contemporary vision, creating works that honor tradition while speaking to modern sensibilities. Each piece represents not just an artwork, but a bridge spanning centuries of artistic excellence.

Art Runs in the Blood: The Munch Connection

My great-grandfather, Dr. Lucien Claudius Dedichen, wasn't just Edvard Munch's physician—he was his confidant and friend. This intimate connection to one of Norway's most celebrated artists runs deeper still: my other great-grandfather, Hans Blehr, married Tulla Larsen, Munch's former fiancée. These personal ties to Munch's world shaped my artistic journey long before I discovered my own path.

While Munch mastered oils and pioneered experimental techniques, my artistic voice found its expression in the luminous depths of egg tempera. It felt like destiny when my first position after university was at the Munch Museum, where studying his bold artistic choices inspired me to pursue my own distinctive direction in this ancient medium.

My great grandfather Lucien Dedichen and Jappe Nilssen, painted by Edvard Munch. «Edvard Munch, Lucien Dedichen and Jappe Nilssen, (1925–1926). Photo © Munchmuseet».

A Revolutionary Spirit: From Stage to Canvas

Agnes Mowinckel, my great-grandmother, shattered conventions as Norway's first female stage director and dared to bring Munch's paintings to the theater stage—an artistic fusion never before seen in Norwegian theatre. Her bold vision earned her a place not just in theatre history, but in the paintings of Norway's most celebrated artists: Munch, Krogh, Fjell, and Sørensen all captured her pioneering spirit on canvas.

Through family stories and these portraits, her legacy of artistic courage continues to inspire my own creative journey and desire to push boundaries.

Behind the Scenes at the Munch Museum

Fresh from university, I found myself handling artistic treasures at the Munch Museum, assisting the chief conservator in examining 17,300 prints for the catalog raisonné. Each print passed through my hands, revealing Munch's genius in layers of ink and paper. This intimate experience with a master's work shaped my understanding of art's power and preservation.

Munch's litho stones at the Munch Museum

The Art of Print: My New York Journey

At Pace Editions in New York, I immersed myself in the mastery of printmaking alongside some of the world's finest printers. Every technique—from traditional etching to experimental methods—opened new artistic possibilities. This experience, complemented by time at legendary studios Gemini G.E.L., fundamentally shaped my artistic voice.

At Pace Editions, New York

From Harvard to Art's Inner Circle

During my time at Harvard University (1999-2000), I had the extraordinary privilege of meeting Phil and Lynn Straus, then owners of the world's finest private collection of Munch's works. Their intimate knowledge of each piece and passionate approach to collecting offered me unprecedented insights into both Munch's artistry and the art of building a meaningful collection.

Straus and Dedichen, NY 2000. Philip Straus was one of the most generous art collectors in the world.

Inside Warhol's World

Through my friendship with Tim Hunt, the Warhol Foundation's exclusive agent for prints and photographs, I gained rare insights into Warhol's artistic universe. Most fascinating was discovering Warhol's "After Munch" silkscreens—where pop art met the master of expressionism. These encounters at the Foundation opened my eyes to new possibilities in artistic reinterpretation and the powerful dialogue between past and present.

Tim Hunt, former exclusive agent for prints and photographs at the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Inc.

Art Sets Sail: A World-First Exhibition

In 2002, I curated "Munch and Warhol after Munch" for The World—the largest private residential ship on Earth. As we set sail from London, residents experienced something unprecedented: Munch's originals and Warhol's reinterpretations traveling the globe together, creating a floating dialogue between expressionism and pop art on the high seas.

A significant aspect of this inaugural exhibition was its timing, which coincided with a momentous occasion for The World. The christening of the ship took place on May 17, 2002, a date that added an extra layer of celebration and significance to our artistic endeavor. This date, which is also Norway's Constitution Day, seemed particularly fitting for an exhibition featuring works by Norway's most famous painter, Edvard Munch. The convergence of the ship's christening, the national holiday of Munch's homeland, and the opening of our "Munch and Warhol after Munch" exhibition created a truly unique and memorable event.
The christening ceremony, a time-honored maritime tradition, marked the official beginning of The World's journey as a residential ship. Our exhibition, opening in conjunction with this landmark event, became an integral part of the ship's inaugural celebrations. It symbolized The World's commitment to providing its residents with world-class cultural experiences from the very start of its voyages. This alignment of the ship's christening with our exhibition opening added an extra dimension of excitement and festivity to the launch. It created a powerful synergy between the maritime milestone and the cultural offering, setting a precedent for the high-caliber experiences that residents of The World could expect in their floating home.
The timing of these events - the christening, the exhibition opening, and the ship's departure from London - all coalescing around May 17, 2002, marked the beginning of a new chapter not just for The World, but for the concept of traveling art exhibitions. It was a confluence of art, luxury travel, and maritime tradition that I feel privileged to have been a part of, and which set the tone for the unique artistic journeys that would unfold aboard The World in the years to come.
The World in Venice where the christening of the ship took place on 17 May 2002

When Pop Art Met The Scream

In 2010, I brought together Warhol's and Munch's masterpieces at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen. Having built a significant private collection for a collector, I was able to provide all the Warhol works and most of the Munch pieces for "Warhol After Munch." This groundbreaking show displayed how Warhol reimagined iconic works like "The Scream" and "Madonna," exploring the intersection of expressionism and mass media.

The "Warhol After Munch" exhibition at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art was not only a groundbreaking artistic endeavor but also a resounding public success. During its three-month run, the exhibition attracted more than 150,000 visitors, a testament to the enduring appeal of both Warhol and Munch, as well as the public's fascination with the dialogue between these two artistic giants. This impressive attendance figure underscores the exhibition's significance and its ability to captivate a wide audience. It demonstrates the power of innovative curatorial approaches to engage the public and generate excitement around art. The high visitor count not only validated the concept behind the exhibition but also highlighted the Louisiana Museum's status as a premier destination for contemporary and modern art. The fact that over 150,000 people experienced this unique juxtaposition of Warhol's and Munch's works in just three months speaks to the exhibition's broad appeal. It attracted art enthusiasts, scholars, and casual visitors alike, fostering a diverse and dynamic audience engagement with the artworks. This overwhelming public response provided a platform for extensive educational outreach and public programming, allowing us to deepen the audience's understanding of both artists and the connections between their works. The high attendance also generated significant media attention, further amplifying the exhibition's impact and contributing to ongoing discussions about artistic influence and reinterpretation. The success of "Warhol After Munch" in terms of visitor numbers not only brought great satisfaction to all involved in its creation but also set a new standard for exhibitions of this kind. It proved that thoughtfully curated, conceptually rich exhibitions can also be crowd-pleasers, bridging the gap between academic interest and public appeal. This remarkable attendance figure remains a point of pride in my curatorial career and serves as a powerful reminder of art's ability to draw diverse audiences when presented in engaging and thought-provoking ways.
Warhol After Munch at the Louisana Museum of Modern Art, 2010

Words Behind the Works

As editor of "Warhol Munch" (Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Publications, 2010), I authored four texts exploring the fascinating dialogue between these artistic giants. Through my interview with Tim Hunt of the Warhol Foundation, the book revealed intimate details of how Warhol transformed Munch's emotional masterpieces into pop art icons.

Warhol Munch, in Louisiana shop, edited by Henriette Dedichen

Behind Warhol's Process

My interviews with Donald Sheridan, Warhol's former printmaking assistant, and Matt Wrbican, the Warhol Museum archivist, revealed fascinating secrets of the "After Munch" series. Through Sheridan, we glimpse the meticulous craft behind Warhol's silkscreens, while Wrbican's discovery in the Pittsburgh archives proved these works were planned but never fully realized—making the existing proofs even more precious.

In "Andy Warhol's Munch Source Material", I'm in dialogue with Matt Wrbican, who was the archivist at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. Wrbican refers to a file containing information about the ordered After Munch series, stored in the Pittsburgh archives. The Warhol After Munch series was a planned series, but never realized, therefore all Warhol After Munch works are unique proofs. In this dialog, the information in the file shows the planned number of editions as well as the planned number of colors.

When Warhol Met a Queen

In 1982, Crown Princess Sonja of Norway stepped into Andy Warhol's Factory in New York. My text for the Henie Onstad Art Center publication reveals the fascinating story behind this royal-meets-pop-art moment. Armed with his Polaroid Big Shot camera, Warhol captured 29 intimate shots of the future queen, ultimately transforming her into one of his iconic celebrity silkscreens.

Landskap og Rom / Landscape and Room, 2012

Queens & Queens: Reframing Warhol

As editor of "Warhol's Queens" (Hatje Cantz, 2013), I unveiled a fascinating parallel never before explored: Warhol's portraits of royal queens alongside his drag queen series. Both groups performed idealized femininity through Warhol's lens—one crowned by birth, the other by transformation. This fresh perspective reveals how Warhol masterfully captured the essence of power, glamour, and identity.

Warhol's Queens (Hatje Cantz), 2013