Sparebankstiftelsen DNB Grant Exhibition 2026
Eli Mai Huang Nesse, Khalid Shatta and Ilavenil Vasuky Jayapalan. Photo: Henrik Follesø Egeland
Oslo Kunstforening is delighted to present the three nominated artists for the Sparebankstiftelsen DNB Grant Exhibition 2026: Eli Mai Huang Nesse, Khalid Shatta and Ilavenil Vasuky Jayapalan!
Eli Mai Huang Nesse (b. 1992) is an artist, scenographer and filmmaker based in Oslo. In her work, she explores the need for safety nets and coping strategies, and how to maintain hope in environments that are collapsing.
Khalid Shatta (b. 1989) is a Sudanese-Norwegian artist based in Oslo who works with photography, installation, drawing, painting and sculpture. Taking Sudanese cultural heritage as his starting point, he examines cultural memory and histories interrupted by displacement and colonialism.
Ilavenil Vasuky Jayapalan (b. 1991) is an Oslo-based artist working with film, sound, animation, performance, poetry and installation. Drawing on Eelam Tamil experiences of forced migration and genocide, he develops works that explore how the body, desire, identity and belonging are shaped by historical, biological and technological conditions.
The Sparebankstiftelsen DNB Grant Exhibition 2026 opens on 12 November at Oslo Kunstforening, and this year's jury consists of jury chair Hege Nyborg (visual artist), Stina Högkvist (director Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum), Ahmed Umar (visual artist), Linda Lamignan (visual artist) and Elisabeth Byre (director Oslo Kunstforening). Mikael Damstuen Brkic takes over the jury seat from Elisabeth Byre when he becomes director of Oslo Kunstforening in August 2026.
The long-standing grant exhibition has been organized by Oslo Kunstforening since 2008 with support from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB. So far, 83 artists have taken part in the exhibition, and 24 have received grants. The recipient of the 300.000 NOK grant will be announced during the exhibition period.