A few words on my graphic noveling and drawing..
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by drawing and I have always felt, that the drawn image is a language with an enormous potential - it can give shape to the shapeless thus making it possible to talk about and maybe even understand.
For many years, however, drawing would elude me as anything other than a tool until I in 2015 began the journey that would end up being published in 2019 as a book of drawings; ‘fifty-nine ways of feeling bad’ / ‘nioghalvtreds måder at have det dårligt på’ - a book that unites my two professions; visual artist and psychologist.
In ‘nioghalvtreds måder at have det dårligt på’, I turn my clients’ complex emotions into drawings, making it possible for the reader to mirror him- or herself and maybe feel just a little bit less alone. A both humorous and serious book that tries to render shape to some of the sadness, darkness and beauty that is intrinsic to being human.
Artistically, working on ‘nioghalvtreds måder at have det dårligt på’ opened up drawing for me - drawing as a language that unites my two lines of work - and I am currently working on graphic short stories to be published in the shape of a novel. The short stories are wordless and graphically very clean and simple fables that evolve around death and existence.
The fables are ambiguous - no character, actions or situations are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ - just like death itself is beyond such concepts. Instead, I am interested in exploring the muddy grey and everso human waters of in-between..
And on my wearable sculptures...
I have always been mesmerised by the inner workings and strange behaviour of the human animal. A beautiful animal. A horrible animal. A funny animal.
A somehow always lonely animal.
It is my sculptural ambition to extend, to expand, to enhance, to empower the human body. Through this physical expansion, a mental expansion is facilitated – new ways of expressing yourself, new ways of being, of relating.
My pieces, my extensions, consist of animal-like body parts made from porcelain that are strapped to the body with felt lined leather straps resembling orthoses; external devices used to control or counteract the effectof an actual or developing deformity.
By lending physical shape and energy, mana, from the animal, the mind and body of the wearer is transformed. Is given a brief experience of a new identity.
But – alas – we are stuck in our own bodies. My wearable pieces promise more than they can keep. Exactly as in the famous fairytale of The Little Mermaid who went through so much pain to be human and yet never were, my pieces hurt. They are beautiful but restricting and pristine but prone to cause bruises. As always – everything comes at a prize – and you are who you are. Irrevocably so.
In this way, my work points to the futility of transhumanism... Transhumanism is an alluring concept: being someone else; prettier, taller, smarter, thick skinned.
But it is impossible.
And maybe that inability is something beautiful. We can do SO,SO much. We can build pyramids, we can fly – but we cannot escape our mortal bodies, that tie us to the ground, to our humanity. We are not gods, after all.
- and YES! They CAN be worn!
It is of the utmost importance to me, that my pieces are honest and well crafted. After all, they strive to deal with serious business. Thus, everything is put forth – there is no cheating and cutting corners. If a piece looks like it can be worn – it can be worn.
If I put in an effort – to me, it is a way of showing the spectators, that I take them seriously. I want to engage people, make them invest their time, thoughts and emotions in my pieces – therefore I myself do the same.
Curriculum Vitae
I was born on the Faroe Islands in may 1979 and live and work in Copenhagen.
2012 Master of Fine Arts (MFA, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
2006 Master of Psychology (MSc / Cand.Psych.), The University of Copenhagen
Aside from my sculptural work I work as a freelance cartoonist - among others for Weekendavisen.
Publications:
2019
‘nioghalvtreds måder at have det dårligt på’, 70 s., Forlaget Eksistensen, DK
2018
freelance cartoonist, Weekendavisen, DK
Grants and residencies:
2019
Artist retreat, Hald Hovedgård, DK
2018
Grant - Statens Kunstfond
2015
Artist retreat, San Cataldo, Scala, IT
Selected Exhibitions:
2019
EPAA
censored group exhibition, Irish Crafts Council
Kilkenny, IRE
2018
'Prix Européen des Arts Appliques'
censored group exhibition, WCC-BF
Mons, BEL
2017
’Between us’
group exhibition with the artists association Dansk Folkekunst
The Lviv National Galllery, Lviv, UKR
'Kunstnernes Påskeudstilling'
censored group exhibition
Kunsthuset Annaborg, Hillerød, DK
’Shape Open’
censored group exhibition
The Ecology Pavilion, London, UK
2016
’TOY’
censored group exhibition
Ann Linnemann Gallery, Nyboder, DK
’Transfer’
group exhibition with the artists association Dansk Folkekunst
The Eurohíd Foundation and The Hungarian National Museum - Esztergom Castle Museum Rondella Gallery, Budapest, HU
2015
’Det LER’
group exhibition
Ann Linnemann Gallery, Nyboder, DK
2014
’ZIMMER FREI’
group exhibition
The Museum of Koldinghus, Kolding, DK
’Formsprog – Tankespind’
censored group exhibition
Ann Linnemann Gallery, Nyboder, DK
2013
’Betroet Tvivl’
group exhibition
Vejen Art Museum, Vejen, DK
’S K I N’
BKS Garage, København, DK
’Landscape/Mind’
NEXUS, Aabenraa, DK
2012
’Pupae'
solo exhibition in collaboration with Copenhagen Philharmonics
Radiohusets Koncertsal, København, DK
'Afgang 2012'
graduation exhibition, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Kunsthallen Nikolaj, København, DK
2011
'Konstance Luns Kabinet'
solo exhibition
Q Gallery, København, DK