Fanny Brodar

Fanny Brodar (b. 1971, Oslo) is a Norwegian-American artist known for her vibrant, emotionally rich paintings that blend childlike imagination with layered storytelling. Drawing on personal memories, spontaneous sketches, and influences from Japanese art, Rose Wylie, and Philip Guston, her work features whimsical characters and textured, colourful compositions. Her intuitive process invites viewers into a nostalgic yet complex world. Brodar has exhibited internationally, and her art continues to resonate with audiences of all ages.

“Inspiration for my paintings mostly comes from childhood memories, my imagination, and things that are important to me.”

Fanny Brodar, born in 1971 in Oslo, Norway, is a Norwegian-American artist celebrated for her vibrant, emotionally resonant paintings that blend childlike wonder with sophisticated storytelling. Raised in New York, she earned a BFA in illustration from The Art Institute of Boston. After a hiatus from art, Brodar returned to painting in 2020, channeling personal experiences and childhood memories into her work.

Her art is characterized by vivid colors, whimsical characters, and layered textures, drawing inspiration from Japanese art and artists like Rose Wylie and Philip Guston . Brodar's process is intuitive and improvisational, often starting with spontaneous sketches and evolving into complex compositions that invite viewers into her imaginative world.

Brodar has exhibited internationally, with solo and group shows in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Notable exhibitions include her participation in the L21 Residency in Palma, Spain, and shows at Carver Hill Gallery in Maine. Her work is held in private collections worldwide, reflecting her growing influence in the contemporary art scene.

Currently based in Kennebunkport, Maine, Brodar continues to explore themes of nostalgia, identity, and the human experience through her art, creating pieces that resonate with audiences of all ages.

ARTIST STATEMENT

"My work lives in the joyful tension between chaos and harmony, where color and line collide in playful, often absurd arrangements. I create imagined worlds populated by exuberant forms, emotional textures, and a cast of expressive shapes and symbols that suggest story without anchoring it. Humor, instinct, and spontaneity are my materials as much as pastel, paint, or paper.

I draw inspiration from childhood drawings, underground comics, textile design, outsider art, and the strange logic of dreams. My process is intuitive and immersive — I begin with a feeling, a doodle, or a color, and follow it down the rabbit hole. I’m interested in what happens when cuteness turns wild, when pattern becomes noise, when abstraction reveals personality.

Whether I’m making character-driven pieces or more purely abstract works, I aim for a sense of unfiltered expression — art that feels like it grew in its own weird garden, without asking permission. My goal is to create a space where viewers can connect with a raw, humorous, and sometimes tender energy — a place to rest and smile, but also to wonder."