MidCentury Modern Icons The story of Norway's popular postwar enamelware and how artist Grete Prytz Kittelsen put Norway on the mid-century modern design map. BY RACHEL GUYAH fter WWII ended, a slow yet seismic shift erupted in the world of art and design. Its epicenter? Scandinavia. Forget gaudy, garish or sharp geometric lines. The Nordic countries were united in their cultural pull toward something different- something organic, intimate, minimal and democratic. During Scandinavia's mid-century modern design movement, each country made its mark: The Danes dominated the furniture scene. The Finns flourished in printed textiles. And the Swedes specialized in sculptural glass. But where was Norway? Playing with fire, it turns out. That is, melting grains of glass onto metal and fusing them with blistering heat. The result: A hardy hunk of cookware with a captivating sheen. In other words: enamelware. Yes, Norway's postwar brilliance can be found in the beloved pots, pans and sonsofnorway.com VIKING AUGUST 2020 21 RAGGE STRAND / NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF NORWAYhttp://www.sonsofnorway.com