Vigeland
museet

Nor
Vandmoderen detlaj Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek København Anders Sune Berg

Kai Nielsen

Born of Everyday Life

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In spring 2025, the Vigeland Museum presents an exhibition of the Danish sculptor Kai Nielsen (1882–1924).

In his time, Kai Nielsen was celebrated as one of the greatest sculptors of his era, praised for his impact on Danish art and modernism, as well as his role in popularizing sculpture in the public sphere. His works are widely represented in public spaces and museums, and his small statuettes can be found in many Danish homes.

Kai Nielsen had numerous connections to Norway and is included in several Norwegian collections, yet remains relatively unknown in Norway. This exhibition at the Vigeland Museum will therefore introduce Nielsen’s work to a Norwegian audience while emphasizing his Norwegian connections.

Born of Everyday Life
The exhibition title is taken from a letter Nielsen wrote to his friend, the Norwegian archaeologist Haakon Schetelig: "I want to bring ‘Naturalism’ to the world. Born of everyday life and place it right before the nose of all the -isms. I've also put 'Naturalism' in quotation marks, for one cannot really do that. But one can try to be natural and not just go with the flow."

The title highlights a duality in Nielsen’s work. He wanted to create art based on real life—everyday life—rather than idealized or abstract representations. This can be seen in his playful approach to both the everyday and humorous aspects in sculptures like Girl Fiddling with Her Toes (1910) and Two Young Bourgeois Women Exercising in the Morning (1920). At the same time, many of his works contain references to mythology and art history. Several of his female figures are inspired by mythological characters like Aphrodite, as seen in sculptures such as Aarhus Girl (1921) and Venus with the Apple (1918–1919).

Kai Nielsen and Norway
Nielsen had several significant connections to Norway, both personal and professional. His marriage to the Norwegian painter Yanna Lange Kielland Holm (1880–1932) fostered strong ties to the Norwegian art community, and he received important commissions from Norwegian patrons. Works like Venus with the Apple, Water Mother (1919–1920), and Zeus and Io (1919–1920) were part of a commission from the Norwegian shipowner A. F. Klaveness (1874–1958). Water Mother has achieved iconic status at the Glyptotek in Copenhagen, greeting all visitors in the museum’s winter garden. A bronze version is also featured in the sculpture park at the Henie Onstad Art Centre, alongside Zeus and Io, while Venus with the Apple can be found in the dining room of the Freia chocolate factory in Oslo.

Nielsen also exhibited in Norway on several occasions. In 1918, one of his granite sculptures, Mother and Child (1917), was shown in an exhibition in Kristiania. This black granite group was commissioned by the Norwegian industrialist Halvor Schou (1886–1959) for his garden and loaned to the Kunstnerforbundet. For unknown reasons, the sculpture was donated to Kristiania Municipality in 1924, and in 1925, it was installed in Frogner Park near the entrance to Gustav Vigeland’s sculpture park.

The exhibition is organized and curated by Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and Faaborg Museum, in collaboration with the Vigeland Museum. Works are on loan from Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Faaborg Museum, Freia, and the National Museum.



With thanks for support to the Vigeland Museum exhibition from

With thanks for support of research, exhibition, and book from:

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