Linda Charlotte Aslaksen, also known as Zina, (born 1986) is a Sámi artist and educator from

Porsgrunn is a city and municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Porsgrunn. The municipality of Porsgrunn was ...

in the south of Norway. After spending several years in

Shoreditch Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area. In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an impor ...

, London, where she gained fame as a

street artist A street artist is a person who makes art in public places. Street artists include portrait artists, caricaturists, graffiti artists, muralists and people making crafts. Street artists can also refer to street performers such as musicians, acroba ...

, in 2018 she returned to Norway to teach at the art school in

Karasjok ( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka. The ...

Biography

Born in Porsgrunn in the south of Norway, Linda Charlotte Aslaksen is the daughter of parents from

in the far north. She is a graduate in illustration and graphic design from

University College Falmouth Falmouth University ( kw, Pennskol Aberfal) is a specialist public university for the creative industries based in Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall, Penryn, Cornwall, England. Founded as Falmouth School of Art in 1902, it was l ...

. From 2010, Aslaksen spent several years in London where, thanks to friends who demonstrated the technique, she became a street artist based in Shoreditch. Recognition was triggered by a painting of a muscle man for a training centre in February 2014. It was to be the first of many more, allowing her to make a living as a full-time artist. Her predominantly blue works often depict women and children. She became even more successful after receiving a contract from

Beefeater Gin Beefeater Gin is a brand of gin owned by Pernod Ricard and bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom. Beefeater remained in the Burrough's family control until 1987. It is a 47% or 44% alcohol product (94 proof) in the US, and a 40% alcoh ...

. ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' referred to her as one of the world's 25 most notable female street artists. In August 2016, after nine years in London, she moved back to Norway, settling in

Alta Alta or ALTA may refer to: Acronyms * Alt-A, short for Alternative A-paper, is a type of U.S. mortgage * American Land Title Association, a national trade association representing the land title industry * American Literary Translators Associatio ...

Finnmark Finnmark (; se, Finnmárku ; fkv, Finmarku; fi, Ruija ; russian: Финнмарк) was a county in the northern part of Norway, and it is scheduled to become a county again in 2024. On 1 January 2020, Finnmark was merged with the neighbouri ...

. There she caused something of a commotion after painting the walls of the young people's school. Later she attracted attention from far and wide in nearby Sørvær by creating a portrait of a traditional fisherman wearing earphones headed "Sørøy Rocken" on the wall of a fish factory. "There's no doubt who should be this year's artist at the Sørøyrocken Festival," commented its cultural expert Ken Arne Brox. In 2018, Aslaksen was given an appointment as a teacher at the art school in Karasjok, not far from Alta where she lives. She also collaborates with Alta's Sisa Cultural Centre, participating in workshops in the local schools.

References

External links

Examples of Linda Aslaksen's artwork from Infinity Dimension Art Gallery

Zina on Saatchi Art
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aslaksen, Linda 1986 births People from Porsgrunn Sámi artists Norwegian Sámi people Street artists Norwegian women artists Norwegian educators Norwegian women educators Living people