Bente Valentinsen Dankertsen (born 1956, Norway) is a dedicated artist who has been driven by the interplay between nature and culture throughout her career. She has been a full-time artist since 1990 and is deeply influenced by her observations of materialism, social injustice, and the ever-increasing consumption in our society.

Dankertsen's artistic medium of choice is animal skin, which she transforms into sculptures. Her primary materials are often deer and reindeer skins, carefully chosen for their visual impact. She skillfully removes the fur from these skins and, in some cases, employs traditional tanning methods using bark or other natural substances. Each hide possesses a unique character that she nurtures and refines in her creative process.

To shape these skins, Dankertsen works with them while they are still wet, ensuring that the final form remains consistent as they dry. She also incorporates other natural materials when necessary, taking great pleasure in overseeing every step of the intricate process herself.

Dankertsen's work elicits a range of emotions, often evoking both fascination and repulsion. She has noticed that many people lack a true understanding of what animal skin entails, often associating it solely with leather used in everyday items like shoes and bags. In reality, the skins she works with have not undergone the industrial processes involving machines and chemicals that characterize mass-produced leather goods.

 What the F. ?      Kalveskinn over form. Bark og fettgarvet. str. 100cmx60cm.

Hudinne.   Kalveskinn bark og fettgarvet.

Rein- karnasjon.

Reinsdyrhud over kvinnekropp. Fett garvet.