Ragna Misvær Grønstad’s main body of work is situated within an aquatic landscape drawn figuratively and expressively, using printmaking techniques such as woodcut and intaglio. Her work is marked by a critical and philosophical voice emanating from fragments of text and contemporary poetry.

Her practice contemplates our perception of reality and individual emancipation from a timeless perspective. This social critique is anchored in her belief in the positive potential of escapism,and in the force of the imaginary in reality.

The Imaginarium – as she refers to it – is where she connects all forms of art praxis. At the core of each of her prints is an expression of the universe, the depth of the oceans and life below the surface. Here we find an imaginary aquatic flora and fauna, with tiny traces of human interference. Yet the atmosphere within this aquatic environment refers more to the cosmos and nebulas than the deep blue sea. Misvær Grønstad’s images are created roughly the size of a standard doorway, stating that: “It is easier to relate bodily to an image when it stands up to you, when it becomes the entrance – rather than a peephole – into another world”.

She formulates her approach to her images as drawing with unexpressed or wordless sensations, rather than looking at them strictly as figurative or abstract. Often the chemical processes of her printmaking techniques come to form an important part of these works. She most often uses more than one technique in creating her images, as she finds each method unique in some ways but lacking the ability to express an entire picture or concept within its means. The possibilities presented through the combination of different styles and expressions allow her to draw in great detail and to convey the bigger picture, reflecting her relationship to a particular worldview and creating poetic spaces for contemplating concepts as vast and profound as an intimate infinity.