So who am I? Well I am asking my self the same question every day. My name is Jim Darbu and I guess you could say I am a boy trapped in a 29 year old mans body. I live in Oslo with my wonderful girlfriend Vibeke and our dangerous cat called Hedvig. After finishing my master degree in ceramics last spring I'm currently trying to make a living as a ceramic artist. It's a tough life and I'm probably not retiring in wealth any day soon, but I woulden't have it any other way.
My gateway towards art has always been through cartoons and I’m all about the grotesque and abnormal. Get me wrong, I like Donald Duck and his adventures but at one point I got too evolved in the whole low brow comic scene. I’m talking about the kind of humour you could find in Mad magazine and collecting cards like Garbage gang and Garbage pale kids. Lately I’ve evolved and been more into the likes of Robert Crumb and Joe Matt who really get in to the whole self exposure through their comics. I love reading about all the aspects of their personal life and their deviant sexuality, for me that’s just about how fun as it gets.
So when it comes to my own take on art its natural for me to express my self in a comic-like matter, I guess there been times when I’ve tried making my art in a more realistic manner, but strangely enough when the work is finished it still looks similar too the things I usually make.
I guess all the comic-book reading has left me with this strange brain damage.
Anyways, I love making art and nowadays I’m mostly in to making ceramic sculptures and drawings. My work tends to develop from intuitive drawing and you could probably compare it with going for a spontaneous walk. You never know where you’re going to end up.
I’m probably a little naive that think I actually could make a living of working as an artist, but I believe it’s possible if you work hard and have ambitions. When it comes to promoting my self and my work I try to do everything my self and keep it all on a low budget.
Some of the pictures you can see on my web page have been taken by yours truly with my girlfriend’s digital-dinosaur camera.
It's things like that which helps me keep expenses down, but it’s also a great value to have good friends who wants to help you out.
Not just because they're better then you at the things they do, but because it helps me to free up time to make more art.
Education 
Oslo national school of the fine arts, Master 2007-2009
Oslo national school of the fine arts, Bachelor 2004-2007
Strykejernet art school 2002-2004
Group and Collective exhibitions
Ålesund kunstforening, Kunsthåndverk i tiden 2011
Galleri F15, Tendenser, Moss 2011
Kunsthåndtverkbiennalen 2011, Tønsberg, Fredrikstad & Drammen 2011
Steneby Kunsthall, Två generationer keramiker, Sverige 2011
Flammende Stillhet, Akershus Artcenter, Lillestrøm 2010
Arts & crafts 2010, National Museum, Oslo 2010
New Talent, European Ceramic Context, Bornholm 2010
Galleri Godteri, Oslo 2009
Oslo Ceramics, Gallery Format, Oslo 2009
Denmarks Ceramic Museum, Grimmerhus 2007
Triennale Ceramics Glass, National museum, Oslo 2007
Solo exhibitions
Galleri Athene 2012
Hå gamle prestegard 2010
Collections
The National Museum, Norway 2011
Scholarships
3 year scholarship for younger artists 2011
Diverse scholarship 2010
Contact
You can get hold of me with e-mail: Jim_darbu@hotmail.com
or telephone at (0047) 41339667
