Oslo studio Metric creates Norway's new banknotes, telling the story of life along Europe's longest coastline

After 18 years, the portrait of artist Edvard Munch on the 1000 kroner note was replaced by an image of a wave in The Barents Sea. Created by the Oslo studio, the wave illustrates the final note's theme, 'The Sea Which Carries Us Forward'.

The original design and central concept for the banknote series were conceived by Metric and illustrator Terje Tønnesen in 2014. The reverse sides are based on design proposals from fellow designers at Snøhetta. The designs were later adapted and modified by the Central Bank of Norway.

The 50 kroner note has an image of the Utvær lighthouse located on Norway’s westernmost point. While the famous Gokstadskipet on the 100 note points to Norway’s mighty Viking heritage. A cod on the 200 note celebrates Norway as a fishing nation while the image on the 500 bill is the rescue vessel, RS 14 Stavanger, by the famous shipbuilder Colin Archer.

Finally, the wave depicted on the 1000 kroner note is an illustration of what lies ahead. "A wave is both constant and changeable at the same time," says Mari Ekkje of Metric. "The wave represents something eternal; something past and present. The future is uncertain, but for us to use the ocean to bring us forward, we must be able to look back and use the knowledge and experience the ocean has given us to make the right choices."