Nils Aas – Norway’s leading sculptor
At just 21, Nils Aas set off southwards to Oslo – likely unaware of the profound impact he would one day have on contemporary art in Norway.
Foto: M. Rua
Nils Aas – The artist from Inderøy
The tidal fjord that surrounded his childhood village. The white-painted houses and his father’s carpentry workshop.
That was all the inspiration Nils Sigurd Aas needed to begin his journey toward becoming one of Norway’s most important sculptors.
At just 21, he moved to Oslo – likely unaware of the lasting influence he would one day have on contemporary art.
Nils Aas in the workshop
Born in 1933 in the small village of Straumen, Inderøy, Nils grew up with the rhythms of wood and craft in his blood. His father was a cabinetmaker, and from an early age, Nils was surrounded by the rich traditions of family craftsmanship.
Skulpturen “BAUTA” av Nils Aas. Foto: Nils Aas Kunstverksted
When you see Nils Aas’s art today, it’s easy to picture the curious young boy in his father’s workshop—bathed in soft window light, surrounded by tools, old furniture, and curls of wood shavings. Hour after hour he sat there—trying, failing, learning.
Until, at last, he succeeds—bringing to life all manner of curious shapes and figures, as he dreams. Dreams of sculpting forms and objects limited only by the bounds of his own imagination.
From Inderøy to Oslo
At the 7th of June Square (7. juni plassen) in Oslo stands one of the nation’s most iconic monuments—the statue of King Haakon VII. Unveiled on the King’s centenary, it’s considered a cornerstone of post-war Norwegian art history.
Several older and well-established sculptors competed for the commission, but it was Nils Aas who won—marking both his breakthrough and a powerful shift in the Norwegian art world. The monument became his first major public work, and it remains his magnum opus to this day.
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Bauta—Nils-Aas
Nils Aas Art Workshop in Straumen
Nils Aas Kunstverksted opened its doors on 3 September 1996. It houses a permanent exhibition of Nils Aas’s work—one he personally helped curate—alongside rotating shows of contemporary art. At the opening, Aas built a towering monument from stacked firewood, dedicated to the fishermen and craftsmen of Straumen, his hometown.
The Nils Aas Kunstverksted also features a hands-on workshop where visitors of all ages can explore and create with a range of materials.
Nils Aas was a man of few words, but his voice spoke clearly through his materials. His artistic range was remarkable—spanning from delicate, figurative pieces to bold, abstract forms, and working with everything from paper to steel.
Today, the Nils Aas Kunstverksted is a vibrant space made up of a museum dedicated to Aas’s legacy, a gallery for contemporary and changing exhibitions, an active creative workshop, and an art shop. Just a stone’s throw away lies Muustrøparken, home to 12 of his outdoor sculptures, where art and nature meet in quiet harmony.
