Inge Thogersen is an established Danish painter who has exhibited her work nationally and internationally. Inspired by human relationships, music, and nature, she composes abstract paintings that carry an optimistic energy and engage one’s imagination. We sat down with Inge to talk about her current projects, inspiration, and the start of her artistic career.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
It’s been sneaking in on me over the years. It started off completely as a hobby – which I became very fond of – and then it has grown much bigger than I could imagine.
I just started painting about 15-20 years ago. Until then, I was not engaged in paint and canvases, but I’ve always been creative. Ever since childhood, my favorite pastime was creating clothes for my barbie dolls and as an adult I sewed a lot of clothes. I designed cotton fabric and painted it with fabric paint to produce handmade jackets for children and adults.
Somehow it has always been necessary for me and my well-being to have something creative to do. And now I only paint, but I constantly experiment with new possibilities while trying to withhold my own style.
Can you talk about your artistic influences and other artists you are most inspired by?
I am most inspired by the expressive artists with large arm movements because it fits well with my own temperament. However, many things inspire in me. For example, people are always surprised when I tell them that nature inspires me. That inspiration is then translated into something on canvas, but is rarely associated with nature.
My daily life as a family therapist really inspires me a lot even if you do not see it directly in my paintings. The experience of strength, hope, vivacity, and overcoming great difficulties may nevertheless be seen in the colorful paintings or the large arm movements.
I am also happy to look at art that is very different from my own, as it is both a joy and an indirect source of inspiration.
Do you prefer to work alone or collaborate with others?
I am part of an artist community with nine artists in the same house. We produce very different art and it is good that way, but we do collaborate with exhibitions, courses, and inspiration days.
It is really important to me to be part of a community, even though I usually work alone (with music in my ears) when I work. I also often attend courses or lessons with other artists outside my own artist community to keep alive the inspiration.
Can you tell us about a project you are currently working on?
In the last months I have been working with paraphrases because I was going to participate in a large exhibition in Aarhus, with about 100 artists who have made a joint exhibition in a gallery and at the same time have exhibitions in their own workshops.
The theme of the joint exhibition was paraphrases, and I have explored various artists – most Picasso and Jackson Pollock. I am very fond of their paintings and it is it’s really fun to try that kind of art, which you can see in my series “experiments’s”. Some I have developed to also contain prints of birds etc.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus came and the exhibition has been postponed. On my artistic to do list, I also want to make some new art money and develop some sculpture ideas that I have, and have tested a bit. Furthermore, I am constantly tempted to make large paintings.
What do you think you would you be doing if you weren’t an artist?
Now I am a family therapist and artist – I love both. Both connect with each other and provide mutual inspiration, but I may well have chosen to be a designer.
Have you found any other artists on Singulart whose work you admire?
There are many. I often sit and explore the many amazing artists from around the world. A few names would be Christine Barres from France, Aase Lind from Denmark, Sylvie Gerard from France, Jette Reinert from Denmark, Luciana Matioudakis and Alessandro Siviglia, both from Italy.
What advice could you give to young artists starting out?
If you feel like it, then just go ahead and follow your dream with inspiration, education, and continuous training. Open your senses. I think art is about living life.
