What are buro artists doing in Romani land?
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Economic hardship and disability sent Matthias Stoltenberg (1799–1871) wandering through Romani land. He painted in exchange for food and shelter, though he was “not received as a vagrant.”
Adolph Tidemand (1814–1876) portrayed the farmer as the bearer of Norwegian identity. The Traveller stood in contrast to the settled farmer — the “buro”, in the Norwegian Romani language.
Nils Rundgren (1890–1971) — upper-class kid and drifter, wandered through Romani land on both sides of the Swedish–Norwegian border. His imagery features fantastic creatures and flying wheels — which he called “tjabovinklar” (“tjabo” being a loanword from Romani).
Lillebet Foss (1930–2017) created her first known horse picture in 1952 — the same year Norwegian authorities confiscated the horses that had long been the lifeblood of Traveller culture.

Curated by: Anders Nordby, Ellef Prestsæter, and Martin Sæther.