Maria Mansfield | Graphic Design

Project Statement | Fra Fjell til Fjord

View Portfolio

Fra Fjell til Fjord is a passion project which celebrates the cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes, and unique identity of Norway through a graphic design lens. This project seeks to encaptivate the essence of Norway’s language and folklore in a visually captivating and enriching manner. 

My Norwegian culture is something that is very important to me and is a big part of my identity, both as an artist and as a person. Growing up with family there as well as speaking the language are both things that have inclined me to become passionate about sharing this part of me and wanting to make art about it. The images that are shown throughout this passion project are mostly my personal photos that I have taken myself. The visualization of the photographs helps encapsulate the feeling of what one would feel like if they ever traveled here, and helps create a visualization that other forms of media would not be able to do. When choosing the topics of what to display, I considered the most important things of Norway, like their literature, art and architecture, landscapes, and everyday life experiences. Since Norway has additional letters in their alphabet, that is something that is unique to the language that others would find intriguing. Their specific holidays are also something unique to the country, which in the publication I explain how my family would typically celebrate.

The design goal of this passion project is to inform people of Norway's identity and to inform people of their rich heritage. Each photograph has been thoughtfully chosen to encapsulate various facets of the country, ensuring a rich portrayal. Drawing inspiration from Norway’s modern art style, using the typographic font Bodoni offers a bold but sleek font that enhances the simplistic and modern style. The sans-serif typeface Helvetica Neue contrasts with serif Bodoni, creating balance while flipping through the pages. When writing the text, I was thinking about what are the most valuable things that the country has to offer, as well as what it is that makes the country so unique. 

Fra Fjell til Fjord is a project that aims to accumulate a visually stunning collection of photographs, as well as inform the viewer of Norway’s unique culture and values. Throughout this visual narrative, viewers will be visually transformed as they foster a deeper appreciation for the country’s people, landscape, and heritage.