Pregnant Woman

Helene Knoop (b. 1979, in Drøbak) is one of Norway's foremost kitsch painters. She gets the best from the masters; motif circles from Titian, the picturesque from Rembrandt and the intimate and tangible space from Vermer. She compares and competes with herself and the old masters.

She was a student of Odd Nerdrum in the period 2000-2003. Since then, she has focused on the human figure by studying ancient sculptures in Italy.
Knoop always works from living models, and she paints Nordic landscapes in them plein air.

In 2005 she founded worldwidekitsch.com along with Jan-Ove Tuv, and organized the Kitsch Biennale in Munich in 2008, and in Venice in 2010.

Knoop has had several solo exhibitions, including in London, Stockholm and New York. She has also participated in group exhibitions. Some of these include: Palazzo Cini 2010, Edsvik Konsthall 2009, Krapperud Konsthall 2009, Passinger Fabrik 2008, Haus der Kunst 2005, Solli Brug 2004, Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum 2002.

Knoop's paintings are represented in collections in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England, Italy, Nicaragua and the USA.