Bente Sætrang’s textile research operates in the borderland of analysis and intuition, plan and chance, between geometric systems and logical displacements. Both as an active artist and as the first Norwegian professor of textiles, she has significantly influenced and stimulated the development of Norwegian textile art. Sætrang’s artistic practice dates back to 1974.

She has become known for her draperies drawn with acrylic, car paint, sandpaper and pencils on rough tarpaulins. Her approach of letting herself be guided by the material and thereby finding new ways of thinking was to become a basic principle of her art.

Bente Sætrang once started with a special dyeing method called Indigosol. Now, 20 years later, she is reviving this technique. The color pigment is mixed with various chemicals, but the mixture must first be tested on the material before it can be enriched with sulfuric acid and thus made durable. The colored materials must be neutralized in lye, boiled and finally dried. But the result justifies the incredible effort: on the fabrics the color achieves a distinct depth and clarity.