[1] He was born in Sarpsborg, Norway as a son of Lauritz Opstad (1917–2003).
His father was director of the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design.
In 1979, he was hired as director of the Nordenfjeld Art Museum (Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum) in Trondheim, a position he held until 2013.
His special field is enameling history, and important books include Norsk emalje: Kunsthåndverk i verdenstoppen (1994).
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