Visitors 2009

Maya Økland is an artist and a curator. Her work reflects upon how identities and origins intervene and co-exists in human lives as existential statements and belongings. Økland received her MFA in photography from the Bergen National College of Arts in 2005. Her works are included in the collection of Halland Art Museum in Sweden, and has been exhibited at Varbergs Konsthall in Sweden, Fotogalleriet in Norway, Gallery SíM in Iceland, Telemark Kunstsenter in Norway, Kreuzberg Pavillion in Berlin, Galleria Huuto in Finland, Kjubh Kunstverein in Cologne, and Sermermiut in Greenland among others. Her first photo book Stranger in Motherland was published by Teknisk Industri in 2017 and launched in Norway at Rogaland Kunstsenter, Entrée and Podium. As a curator Maya Økland co-founded and co-curated the artist run gallery KNIPSU in Bergen from 2010 to 2015. In 2015 – 2017 she worked for Director Hanne Mugaas as Curatorial Assistant, Interim Director and Coordinator at Kunsthall Stavanger. She frequently writes about art in the feminist magazine Fett, where she is also in the editorial board. Maya Økland lives and works in Oslo, Norway.