About
A cooperative of Norwegian sculptors. The workshop at Helsfyr has been in operation since 12 April 1948 — Norway’s oldest shared workshop for art production.
SA Steinskulptur was founded in 1948 on the initiative of the Norwegian Association of Sculptors, with two purposes: to give members a place to have art carved in stone, and to give sculpture students the chance to learn stone as a material. Since 1960 the workshop has been at Østensjøveien 5 in Helsfyr, between the metro station and Østre gravlund cemetery. The site was bought in 1989.
Today the cooperative is run by Norwegian sculptors as co-owners. The site holds carving spaces, offices and a bronze foundry. Bronseskulptur is based on the same site, and the collaboration is close — particularly on commissions involving both stone and bronze. Such works can be produced in their entirety at Helsfyr, a combination few places in Norway can offer.
The cooperative is founded
Andelslaget Steinskulptur is established on 12 April. Gunnar Janson becomes chair of the board, Odd Kr. Steenberg business manager. The same year: Hanna Jessen makes the monument to the fallen at Namsos, Per Hurum the monument to the Alta battalion.
Roosevelt at Akershus Fortress
Stinius Fredriksen: Franklin D. Roosevelt. Carved here at the workshop.
Gravestones at Kunstnernes Hus
The company holds an exhibition of gravestones in May. The aim is to renew Norwegian burial grounds through artistically considered stones.
Seven or eight stonemasons at Helsfyr
The workshop is at its busiest, with subcontractors around the country in addition. Marshall M. Fredericks: four sculptures for a fountain in Cleveland, Ohio.
Queen Maud and the whaling monument
Ada Madssen: Dronning Maud, the Palace Park in Oslo. Knut Steen: the whaling monument in Sandefjord.
Into Østensjøveien 5
Steinskulptur moves into new premises, designed by the architects Rinnan og Tveten. The workshop is still here.
Elephants for Philadelphia
Heinz Warneke: Cow Elephant and Calf for Philadelphia Zoo. Gunnar Janson and Alf Bjorhusdal: grave markers and information plaque for the Falstad camp.
The bronze foundry arrives
AS Bronseskulptur is set up as an independent company. It rents premises from Steinskulptur and equipment from the Association of Sculptors. Stone and bronze on the same site.
Monuments from north to south
Nils Aas: monument for Haslum cemetery. Maja Refsum: monument for Målselv. Per Palle Storm: cross for Trandumskogen. Annasif Døhlen: plinth for the Johan Scharffenberg monument in Grønlandsleiret.
The craft disappears
The old sculpture carvers retire. The knowledge is not passed on to a new generation. The clause in the statutes stating that the cooperative itself should carry out members’ work is struck out.
The war graves
Grave slabs for the German war cemetery in Narvik, and 540 new crosses for the German burial ground at Alfaset. Kristine Brodersen: decoration for the Geology Centre at Blindern.
The site is bought
Steinskulptur buys the site at Østensjøveien 5, which the company had until then leased from the City of Oslo.
Sigrid Undset in Stensparken
Kjersti Wexelsen Goksøyr: Sigrid Undset, Stensparken in Oslo.
Imports take over
Prefabricated gravestones are imported from distant low-cost countries. The trade in sculptors’ stone — gravestones for which the cooperative’s members had made the prototypes — comes to an end.
A cooperative society
The andelslag ceases to be a valid form of organisation. Steinskulptur becomes a samvirkeforetak — a cooperative society under Norwegian law.
Redning til frihet
Hilde Rodahl: memorial for the Vietnamese Boat Refugee Association, Rådhusparken in Lørenskog. Both the stone and the bronze parts were produced at Helsfyr.
Back to the workshop
Steinskulptur takes over the running of the bronze foundry. The import of prefabricated gravestones is discontinued. The gravestone business is to be built on reuse and local production.
75th anniversary
Marked with an exhibition at the Association of Sculptors in Hekkveien. Participants: Andrea Bakketun, Marit Følstad, Magdalena Kotkowska, Eirik Senje, Nico Widerberg, Kiyoshi Yamamoto, Odin Øistad and Nils Aasland.
Cooperative
SA Steinskulptur is organised as a cooperative (SA). It is not run for profit, but to maintain shared facilities for sculptors in Norway.
Co-owners
The co-owners are Norwegian sculptors affiliated with the Norwegian Association of Sculptors (NBF). Co-ownership confers voting rights at the annual meeting and priority in the allocation of carving spaces.
Petter Kveseth
Petter is responsible for the daily running of the workshop — allocation of carving spaces, coordination of services, contact with the co-owners, and enquiries from the public and from clients. All questions about rental, courses and orders go through him.
We are located at Helsfyr,
five minutes from the metro.
By metro
Helsfyr metro station. Lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 stop here.
From the exit it is about a 5-minute walk to the workshop.
By car
Entrance from Østensjøveien. Parking on site by arrangement.
Deliveries and heavy goods are received by arrangement — contact the managing director to coordinate.
Opening hours
Monday – Friday
09:00 – 16:00
Visits and tours are arranged in advance with the managing director.
SA STEINSKULPTUR 