Light Rising

Light Rising is inspired by the monolithic mural, The Sun, completed by Edvard Munch in 1911. Held at the University of Oslo, it is widely hailed as one of the greatest achievements in modern mural painting.

When I visited Norway in 2023, it was my first time out of the United States and I was constantly enamored by the Scandinavian countrysides. The thing that left the biggest impression on me, though, was the “midnattsol” or “midnight sun”–the phenomenon where, in the Arctic Circle, throughout the summer the sun stays visible at all times of the day.

I had the opportunity to see the Munchmuseet's version of The Sun, a draft Munch made of the work before painting the real thing. Despite not seeing the final version, I was incredibly impressed by the size and subject-matter of the draft. Light Rising is a celebration of the Norwegian sun and one of Munch’s most impressive pieces.