Henning Engelsen
Encyclopedia
Henning Engelsen was a Norwegian woodcarver and illustrator, born in Sandefjord, Norway
.
He started his woodcarving career in 1947 in a small workshop at Toten
in the eastern part of Norway
, where he founded the wood carving company HENNING. From the start his idea was to create a world of wood carved figures that radiate joy and humanity and inspire us to rise above the ordinary. His rich and manifold production counts hundreds of different motives, illustrating animal life, myths and Norwegian folklore.
During the 1950s and 1960s HENNING grew steadily and was soon to be the leading enterprise on the Norwegian souvenir market, exporting figurines to all over the world. At the time, Engelsen had more than 25 craftsmen working in his studio. He ran HENNING with great success until 1988.
Two of his three daughters; Christl Engelsen, Angelina Engelsen and his son-in-law, Bjarne Espedal, are now running the workshop, keeping Engelsens manifold production alive.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
He started his woodcarving career in 1947 in a small workshop at Toten
Toten
Toten is a traditional district in Oppland county in the eastern part of Norway. It consists of the municipalities Østre Toten, Vestre Toten, and Gjøvik.Toten was a petty kingdom in the early Viking Ages, with Halfdan Hvitbeinn as the most notable king....
in the eastern part of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, where he founded the wood carving company HENNING. From the start his idea was to create a world of wood carved figures that radiate joy and humanity and inspire us to rise above the ordinary. His rich and manifold production counts hundreds of different motives, illustrating animal life, myths and Norwegian folklore.
During the 1950s and 1960s HENNING grew steadily and was soon to be the leading enterprise on the Norwegian souvenir market, exporting figurines to all over the world. At the time, Engelsen had more than 25 craftsmen working in his studio. He ran HENNING with great success until 1988.
Two of his three daughters; Christl Engelsen, Angelina Engelsen and his son-in-law, Bjarne Espedal, are now running the workshop, keeping Engelsens manifold production alive.