Biography
Tormod Granheim is a renowned Norwegian adventurer, skier and photographer with a career that combines extreme expeditions and artistic expression. He has achieved several historic achievements in mountain sports – and has distinguished himself as a unique communicator of high mountains and man’s encounter with nature. Granheim has a background in steep skiing and climbing, and achieved international recognition after climbing Mount Everest in a single day and becoming the first to ski down the mountain’s north face. He later became the first Nordic climber to climb all 82 peaks in the Alps above 4,000 meters, an achievement that earned him the title of Adventurer of the Year .
Mountains as a story
Throughout his career, Tormod Granheim has carried his camera with him – from expeditions on the world's highest mountains to the most inaccessible landscapes. He has been both in front of and behind the lens for National Geographic , and has published expedition reports in more than 25 countries.
After ending his active career as an adventurer, he turned his focus to photography. The result is an ongoing art project where the mountain landscape takes center stage – as both a mirror and metaphor for the inner life of man.
Granheim's work has been shown at the Munch Museum, purchased by the Bærum Municipality art collection and several private collectors, and represented at DÁIDDA. In 2024, he had his first solo exhibition with us – described by Kunzt as "some of the best photographic art we've seen in a while" – and which also became DÁIDDA's biggest sales success to that point. The next chapter will follow with new solo exhibitions with us in winter 2025 and winter 2026.
To further develop his artistic expression, Tormod is now studying at the Norwegian School of Photography. It marks a new chapter where he combines his experience from the mountains with an academic and artistic immersion. Through his photographs, Tormod conveys both the beauty and rawness of the mountains. The images invite the viewer to reflect on nature, risk, freedom and longing – and remind us of how closely connected humans are to the power and silence of nature.
Selected works
AFTER THE STORM
Chamonix Needles
I'm a bit of a "storm-chaser" when it comes to photography, I like the idea of clouds moving in the sky and mountains in their winter white. But it's a demanding challenge. Clouds tend to hide the subject. The white snow can burn out and thus hide its beauty. Chamonix had been under the storm for days, snowy clouds had pushed in from the north and dumped their load over the massif. When we reached the mountain, most of it was wrapped in fog. We got some lovely turns in a white universe called the Grands Montets. Then the weather started to clear, and I pointed my camera at the mountain in my heart, the Aiguille du Midi - framed by the Aiguilles de Chamonix in the foreground and Mont Blanc - barely hidden in the clouds - in the background.
ARTIST STATEMENT
For me, nature and especially mountain landscapes have always been a special world. I have experienced some of my finest moments in the mountains. Both alone, but most often and most preferably in the company of my closest friends. People are drawn to the mountains, and this has been the case throughout time. In my photographs I want to explore this noble longing, by showing the silent and timeless beauty of the mountains.
The mountains can be merciless, we have all known that, those of us who travel among them. People have always had great respect for this steep, cold, inhospitable environment that can often be threatening and sometimes dangerous. Feelings such as fear, anxiety, loss and longing are a natural part of the conversation about the mountains. That is why I also want to convey the dark side of the mountains, because in the field of tension between beauty and darkness, the mountains meet us humans and reflect the complexity of our own lives.
My images are both documentary and impressionistic. On location I work documentary, but in post-production I use memories and experiences gathered through thousands of days in the mountains, as a filter through which the photography is created.
Next exhibition
Oslo Negativ, DÁIDDA gallery, Oslo: 11 - 26 October 2025
Solo exhibition, DÁIDDA gallery, Oslo: 20 November – 7 December 2025
Group exhibition, DÁIDDA gallery, Oslo: December 11, 2025 – January 31, 2026
Previous exhibitions
Solo exhibition, DÁIDDA gallery, Oslo: 21 November – 21 December 204
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Current affairs now
- Norwegian School of Photography (2024–2026)
- Next exhibition autumn and winter 2025
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Books and publications
- Skiing from Everest: A personal account of the Everest expedition and the tragedy that followed.
- The 4000m peaks of the Alps: Visual and narrative documentation of all 82 peaks in the Alps.
- Traces: Reflections from encounters with the world's three highest mountains.
- Skiing from Everest: A personal account of the Everest expedition and the tragedy that followed.
Do you have a mountain that means something special to you?
Tormod Granheim offers selected special orders where he can create a photographic work based on your favorite mountain or area. Whether you want something personal for your home, office or as a gift – Tormod can consider tailoring a motif in dialogue with you.
Do you want an artist meeting?
You also have the opportunity to meet Tormod for a conversation about art, nature and the vision behind the photographs. Artist meetings can be held physically (by appointment) or digitally, and are perfect for those who want to go deeper into a purchase, a project or a collaboration.