Ocean Dream

Oil paint on canvas (40 x 50 cm), oil paint on wood (30 x 30 cm), 2025

I got my first job at 15. By the time I was 26, I had held 22 different positions – mostly in the service industry. I’ve worked in both the east and west ends of Oslo, at a remote mountain hotel in Norway, and in cities large and small across France. These years brought with them conflict, harassment, early mornings, night shifts, and minimum wage – experiences that have shaped many of my artistic projects.

But in Ocean Dream, my focus shifted outward. I turned to the cruise industry to explore more extreme examples of inequality and class division between workers and guests.

Cruise lines often register their ships in economically disadvantaged countries, making luxury vacations cheaper and more widely accessible. Workers from low-income nations take demanding jobs on these ships, where they might earn ten times more than at home. Still, while passengers enjoy ocean views and elegant suites, crew members live in windowless cabins deep within the ship—some suffer long-term damage from constant noise and vibrations. Twelve-hour days without time off for months are common. Working in service isn’t just physically demanding; as someone with firsthand experience, I remember the suffocating feeling of being “invisible” to those I served.