Photo: Anne Valeur
Maihaugen's Christmas tree 2026
Exhibition
27 November 2026–10 January 2027
Every year, an artist or designer is invited to give Maihaugen’s Christmas tree a unique look. This year’s tree is designed by artist Maria Brinch.
About the artist
Maria Brinch (born 1984) lives and works in Oslo. She studied at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Brinch’s artistic practice explores the social aspects of craft history, where the exchange of traditional knowledge provides a platform for personal stories and political experiences across cultures, resources and circumstances. Over the past 15 years, she has produced exhibitions, seminars and artist’s books in collaboration with friends and fellow artists in Yangon, Myanmar and Kampala, Uganda.
Brinch connects the material functions of textiles with their emotional significance, drawing inspiration from traditional decorative textiles, the sight of laundry in rural and urban settings and the use of ornamental wrought-iron gates to mark boundaries.
Her work has previously been exhibited at Kunstnernes Hus (Oslo), Kunstnerforbundet (Oslo), Salgshallen (Oslo), Elephant Kunsthall (Lillehammer), Sogn Kunstsenter (Lærdal), Entrée (Bergen), Myanmart Gallery (Yangon, Myanmar) and the Uganda National Museum (Kampala, Uganda).
Over the past 13 years, Brinch has received several artist grants, and her works have been acquired by leading institutions in Norway.
“I am thrilled to be this year’s Christmas tree artist! My grandmother, Marit Brinch, worked as a guide here at Maihaugen when I was younger, so this place means a lot to me. The last time I visited with my grandmother, she was 104 years old and gave me a guided tour like never before!”
Christmas Tree Lighting
Join us as the Christmas lights are switched on and the fully decorated tree is shown for the first time on Friday 27 November at 4 pm! More information to follow.
Buy the decorations
You can buy the decorations in the Maihaugen shop from 12 January.
Different artists
The first artist to design decorations for Maihaugen's Christmas tree was Per Spook in 2008. He decorated it with glass art. Since then the tree has been decorated by different artists and designers every year.
