For centuries, the wooded worlds of nature have stirred the human mind and imagination with their enduring enigma. From the profound and impenetrable depths of the forests, stories and myths have been conjured, painting vivid landscapes of wonder and awe. Forests stand not only as embodiments of intrigue and allure, but also as sources of profit and exploitation. Though resilient in appearance, nature’s ecosystems remain fragile when confronted with the raw force of human desire – a desire driven more by conquest than coexistence. In the vastness of the woodland little is left untouched, erasing precarious life forms and uprooting vulnerable existences that once thrived within.

In the gallery space at SOFT, Freja Burgess has collected material from the wooden realm to create a fictional forest where the organic patterns of nature serve as an exemplary model for image and thought. Inviting the spectator to wander through an immersive, interior landscape, she directs our attention towards the marvellously strange forms and beautifully chaotic structures of our natural surroundings, exploring the forest as a place of sensorial abundance, rich with visual splendour.

Textile works are suspended from the ceiling. Each work has been hand-printed using silkscreen techniques to create playful compositions that suggest an unfolding, though not fixed, narrative. A regular, repeated pattern is juxtaposed with individual stylised motifs, alternating between recognisable forms from nature – crawling ants, tree bark, and fungi – and elements that serve as reminders of the interfering presence of humans that prevails within natural environments.

The tension between repetition and disruption, the familiar and the surreal, opens an imaginative space that encourages exploration and an attentive gaze. This act of looking mirrors the experience of foraging for mushrooms, where the eye becomes attuned to subtle distinctions in shape and colour on the dense forest floor. It is an activity that requires focus and care towards the immediate surroundings – to step quietly and observe acutely.

Freja Burgess (b. 1994, UK) is a textile artist living and working in Oslo. She holds a Master’s degree in Medium and Material-Based Art from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts (2018-21) and a Bachelor’s degree in Textiles in Practice, First Class Honours from the Manchester School of Art (2014-17). In August 2025, Freja will have a solo exhibition at Kunstvisitten / Oslo Bussterminal, Nitja Center for Contemporary Art. Previous exhibitions include Best Before Collective / Hornstull T, Stockholm (2024), and participation in several group exhibitions such as Kunstnerforbundet (2025), Kjøpmannsgata Ung Kunst KUK during Hannah Ryggen Triennalen Mater (2025) and Norske Kunsthåndverkeres Årsutstillingen (2024), and Buskerud Kunstsenter / Østlandsutstillingen (2023).

The exhibition has been generously supported by Kulturrådet and Kunstsentrene i Norge.