Entrevista Ulrik Christian
Ulrik Christian
"I'm known for my humor and twisted, colorful mindset."
Art is a journey that viewers take with the artist and is an experience.
Vibrant colors, geometric and not so geometric shapes, characters and popular culture are things that we can find in the work of this artist with a colorful soul. Christian doesn ́t go unnoticed wherever he goes and is the living proof that for tastes, colors. In this interview we learn a little more about his history, his works and personality.
How did your career start?
For 20+ years, I have navigated in a creative world of advertising, design, film, and content creation as an art director in the advertising industry; I have worked for: Mediacom, McCann Copenhagen, Advance, Bates/Red Cell, Tribal DDB, and TBWA\COPENHAGEN.
I’m known for my humor and twisted, colorful mindset. Some think I’m too much, while others love it, as I always aim to challenge the norms… But one day, I was hit by stress and decided to fight it with creativity. So, in 2018 I started painting – first oil on canvas, a bit dark, but it reflected my feelings. Then I started experimenting with different shapes, materials, colors, and light. Today 5 years later, I found a balance to use my skills as an art director to build the base for my pop art before printing lithography and painting in my ‘signature’ style. However, I constantly challenge myself, take risks, and test new things to grow and expand my artistic journey.
Some artist inspired you to create your paintings?
My favorites are Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Yayoi Kusama. They work on different media; they make complex work look simple and beautiful. They are bold and deliver a visual and joyful experience I love.
How do you describe your works?
Playful, full of colors and humor, timeless, and without boundaries. All is unique 1:1, and nothing is static.
“Some think i’m too much, while others love it”
For you, what is art?
For me, art is not just an object to admire from afar. It is a multi-faceted experience that engages all our senses and emotions. Art is more than a pretty picture hanging on a wall or a sculpture displayed in a museum. It is an expression reflecting our experiences, ideas, and beliefs. Art is a medium that enables us to engage with the world around us, and it has the power to move us. It is the artist’s vision and intent which is brought to life through the use of various mediums such as paint, clay, fabric, and sound. Art has the power to evoke emotions and feelings that words alone cannot express. Art can make us feel happy, sad, angry, inspired, and nostalgic, among other things. It has the ability to transport us to another time and place, to help us see the world in a new light, and to connect us to something greater than ourselves. Art is a journey that viewers take with the artist and is an experience.
How did you find your style?
I experiment and embrace the power of boldness to grow my artistic skills. I have found my ‘signature’ style in pop art but constantly test different media, formats, and materials mostly because I enjoy the creative process and feedback from viewers.
“Art is timeless, it has the power to transcend time and space”
Of all your catalogue, do you have a favorite piece?
My ‘Kitchen closed’ was a game changer for me in Dallas as a new artist name, but lately, I am starting to fall in love with my new project of sculptures.
Do you dream of exhibiting in a specific place?
Miami Art Basel.
If one day we visit your studio, what could we find there?
A very productive studio packed with prints, half-finished sculptures and paintings, materials in all kinds of forms, and lots of paint in crazy cool colors from my sponsor Schjerning!
Do you think art has an expiration date?
While some may argue that art has an expiration date, I believe art is timeless. Art is a reflection of our experience. The themes and emotions artists explore through their work are universal and can be understood by people of all generations and cultures. Good or bad. Nevertheless, art has the power to transcend time and space. Art that was created centuries ago can still move and inspire us today. The Mona Lisa, if you like it or not, was painted over 500 years ago, and it still draws crowds of people to the Louvre Museum in Paris. Not to forget Miro, Asger Jorn, Picasso, and Basquiat, whose work I can look at repeatedly.
Would you say that each painting has its own personality?
Yes, I create mainly 1:1 pieces, even with prints.
What do you enjoy most in your day to day?
My freedom to create. The ability to be bold and let go of perfectionism. As an artist, you tend to experience a certain vulnerability when sharing your art with others. I did that in the first years, but I embrace the artistic journey instead of the outcome today. I work 10 – 17 at my studio five days a week, experimenting and producing art I learn from and grow with.
“Art is timeless.
Art is a reflection of our experience”
Ulrik’s work is worth seeing, wheter you share his passion for colors and pop art or not, it will surely move you inside. His play with lights and experimentation teaches us to see life from another perspective.
Entrevista concedida a AGAPHE el 16 de Marzo del 2023
