Dyre Vaa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dyre Vaa
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Dyre Vaa in 1926
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| Born | 19 January 1903 Kviteseid, Norway
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| Died | 11 May 1980 (aged 77) Rauland, Norway
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| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Occupation | Sculptor and painter |
| Relatives | Aslaug Vaa (sister) Johan Bojer (father-in-law) |
| Awards | King's Medal of Merit in gold (1951) Nidaros Cathedral gold medal (1969) |
Dyre Vaa (born January 19, 1903 – died May 11, 1980) was a famous Norwegian artist. He was known for creating sculptures and paintings. His art can be seen in many public places and museums across Norway.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dyre Vaa was born in a place called Kviteseid in Telemark, Norway. He grew up as the youngest of five children in a family that owned a lot of forest land.
He finished high school at Kristiania Cathedral School in 1920. After that, he studied art at two important schools: the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry and the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts. He learned from a teacher named Wilhelm Rasmussen. Dyre Vaa also traveled to countries like Spain, Greece, and Italy to study art even more.
Artistic Career and Achievements
Dyre Vaa started his art career in 1925. One of his first important works was a bronze statue of a government official named Ivar Peterson Tveiten. This sculpture is now in the National Gallery of Norway.
In 1932, his sculptures, paintings, and drawings were shown for the first time at a famous art center called Kunstnernes Hus. He was also the chairman of the Norwegian Sculptor Association from 1960 to 1962. He kept working on his art until the mid-1970s when he started having health problems.
Famous Sculptures and Artworks
Dyre Vaa created many well-known sculptures that you can see in public spaces.
- One of his most famous works is the statue of the writer Ludvig Holberg. It stands outside the Nationaltheatret (National Theatre) in Oslo.
- He also made four bronze sculptures for Ankerbrua (Anker Bridge) in Oslo. These sculptures show characters from Norwegian fairy tales: Peer Gynt, Veslefrikk med fela, Kari Trestakk, and Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon.
- At a place called Ila, he made bronze sculptures of wolves in 1930.
- Dyre Vaa helped decorate the Oslo City Hall. He created the beautiful swan fountain in the courtyard, which was finished between 1948 and 1950.
- He made statues of several famous writers, including Henrik Ibsen (in Skien, 1958), Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (1968), Ivar Aasen, and Olav Aukrust (in Lom, 1955).
- He also sculpted the famous fiddle player Myllarguten in Arabygdi, Rauland.
- Dyre Vaa contributed to the art at the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
- He created several memorials for World War II in different towns like Rjukan (1946), Nordfjord (1947), Porsgrunn (1950), and Gjerpen (1954).
- Many of his artworks are also part of the collection at the National Gallery of Norway.
Dyre Vaa Art Collection
Dyre Vaa gave many of his artworks to the Vinje municipality. These works became the start of the Dyre Vaa Sculptural Art Collection (Dyre Vaa-samlingane). This museum opened in 1981 and works together with the Vest-Telemark Museum. At the museum, you can see his bronze sculptures, gypsum figures, drawings, and sketches.
Awards and Recognition
Dyre Vaa received several awards for his artistic talent:
- He won the Schäffers legat (1924–25), Aalls legat (1924), Conrad Mohrs legat (1926), and Houens legat (1929). These are special grants for artists.
- In 1951, he was awarded the King's Medal of Merit in gold.
- In 1969, he received the Nidaros Cathedral Gold Medal.
- Also in 1969, he was made a Knight 1st Class in the Order of St. Olav, which is a high honor in Norway.
Family Life
Dyre Vaa was the younger brother of the poet Aslaug Vaa. The famous writer Tarjei Vesaas and composer Eivind Groven were his second cousins.
In 1927, Dyre Vaa married Thora Lange Bojer. She was the daughter of the writer Johan Bojer. Thora often posed for Dyre Vaa's artworks. They had six children together. Their son, Tor Vaa (1928-2008), also became a sculptor, following in his father's footsteps.
