Bird of Paradise - Anne Tveit Knutsen

The book Bird of Paradise began with an encounter between artist Anne Tveit Knutsen and the late florist Rikhard Rune Juuhl (1952–2023), who had already fallen into the clutches of Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Drawing on the empathy and caregiving instinct from her previous work as a nurse, Anne developed her brief friendship with the gradually fading florist into a poignant project centred on the trinity of old age, floristry, and fine art.

The book gathers essays by well-established artists, philosophers, sociologists, and art historians, each exploring these themes from their own perspective and area of expertise. Designer Yilei Wang subtly embedded the connection between the three elements in the design details—such as the lenticular cover featuring negative images of withdrawing roots, and the page edges, which shift in colour from green to yellow.

As Anne asks in the introduction: What does it mean to flourish as a human being, even in the face of serious illness or disability?

Kinakaal Forlag, 2025 
Norwegian and English text 
Lenticular cover, 129pp 
188 x 110mm