He was the eldest of Gunnar Olavsson Helland's five sons, four of whom became violin makers. He showed great talent even in his younger days and worked with his father for many years.
In 1896 he settled in Notodden, Telemark, as violin maker and continued the Helland tradition of winning prizes and medals for his work. Many[who?] consider him as the greatest of his kind in the twentieth century.
