Malk Sultan Al-Jabiri

Riksvåpen (‘national coat of arms’) is Malk Sultan Al-Jabiri’s expression of gratitude to Norway for having received him as a refugee when he arrived here from Yemen over ten years ago. He works as a welder, a profession he learned early in life while helping his father, who was also a welder. The heraldic device the work is based on has roots back to at least the 13th century and adorned the armour used by the kings of Norway, while the current design stems from 1992, as conceived by Sverre Morken. Al-Jabiri’s monumental work was unveiled in the harbour in Sandnes in 2019. It has not yet been decided where the work will be located after the present exhibition. Several parties have shown their interest, but the artist himself suggests that the Norwegian king should decide. “The king is the boss, and it would be cool if he accepted the gift and located it somewhere where as many people as possible could see it.” Riksvåpen has been well received in the media, including on websites that are generally critical of immigration. The artist also wants to create smaller versions that can be placed in Norwegian embassies around the world. GH