Christiane Spangsberg
Art has always been a part of Christiane Spangsberg’s life. Growing up in Vejle, Denmark, her mom taught her to paint with aquarelles.
She drew with her friends in school, and made use of every opportunity to improve on her art and style. However, her relationship with art wasn’t one of sunshine and joy. Rather, she had a love-hate relationship with art while growing up. Spangsberg remembers this time as a particularly tough one, where she found her self-worth tied to her art, demanding perfection from herself at every point. This led her to give up on art for a period in her life. During this time, she completed her education, earning a masters in Human Technology.
When she picked up her brushes again after being inspired by Picasso’s single line drawings, she found that it felt natural to her. From there, Spangsberg kept drawing human forms, architecture, and anything and everything that inspired her. Her relationship with art was different now - it was one of learning and experimentation, one that allowed her to put her mind to paper.
This relationship is evident in her process. Spangsberg paints with her eyes closed - a process which she describes as giving up control. It allows her to focus and draw directly from her mind, putting everything in that moment into the piece in front of her. And this may be exactly why many are drawn to the silent, emotional quality of her artworks. Influenced by the works of Henry Matisse and Pablo Picasso, her graphite and single line drawings and paintings in her characteristic blue are abstract and Fauvist in nature. Her artworks seem to possess an ability to reach out to the viewer, evoking a plethora of emotions.
Christane Spangsberg rarely makes commissioned artworks, preferring the freedom of creating works that come to her mind. Keen buyers can purchase her art online or attend her art exhibitions, some of which have been completely sold out within the hour. Spangsberg likes to showcase and sell her work on Instagram, as it gives her the freedom to communicate directly with those interested in her art. Spangsberg’s works can also be spotted at the Paddington Inn in Sydney, for whom she made custom artworks, as well as her collaboration with Matteau Swim and Maison Balzac for their scented candle ‘La Plage’. As she continues to collaborate and create new pieces, it’s only a matter of time before we see more of Spangsberg’s works in fashion and interiors. Her ability to constantly work on improving her art while being grounded is a tell of the bright future that awaits her. As Christiane Spangsberg remarks in her interview with Vogue “Some share their feelings and thoughts by writing, playing music. I draw”.
