Background
Erik Hesselberg was born on June 4, 1914, in Brevik, Telemark. He grew up in Larvik, Vestfold.
Erik Hesselberg was born on June 4, 1914, in Brevik, Telemark. He grew up in Larvik, Vestfold.
Having graduated from his secondary school, Erik Hesselberg went on to a sailors" school and later worked as a professional sailor for five years, making several trips around the world. Later Hesselberg studied art in Hamburg, Germany.
He knew Thor Heyerdahl from his childhood years. He stayed in Germany when the World World War II began, so he could not return to Norway and started working as a decorator in Braunschweig. At the same time, he established contacts with the Norwegian resistance movement and was involved in several assignments.
Thor Heyerdahl approached him and invited to become a navigator on the During the trip, he worked as an astronavigator and cartographer as he was the only professional sailor.
Also, he drew sketches, carved wooden statuettes, and played guitar. He painted the large Kon-Tiki figure on the raft"s main sail.
After the expedition, Hesselberg wrote his only book Kon-Tiki and I and illustrated lieutenant The book was published in Norway in 1949 by the publishing company Dreyers Vorlag.
The book was translated into 15 languages.
He built his own sail ship, also named Kon-Tiki and traveled from Norway to France. Hesselberg lived on his ship for 11 years in such places as Cote d"Azure, Corsica, Italy, while working as a sculptor and painter. Later, he sold his ship and lived in the United States, Germany, and Sweden, until his final return in 1969–1970 to Larvik, a town of his childhood.
Hesselberg died in Larvik on September 15, 1972, aged 58, of a heart condition, and was buried there.
He left many photographic pictures, graphic works, sculptures, and more than 200 songs for guitar.