Interview
Bjørn (Lillebror) Sande Larsen
Lillebror has been a multi artist for 40 years. He has released 5 music albums, written 800 songs for himself and other artists. Lillebror has done 1 000 TV shows as a host or guest, and done around 7 000 concerts in his life. He has had 5 exhibitions for his art. He is 60 years old, single, gay, living in Maspalomas Gran Canaria. He is from Norway, but have also lived in Africa (Gambia), Rhodes, Cyprus, Sweden and Benidorm.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I am a multi artist, songwriter, singer, TV personality, producer, author, and a painter. After 1 000 TV shows, 7 000 concerts and 800 songs written and 30 years in the showbiz industry in Norway, I wanted to use my creative qualities in a new way. I moved from Norway to the tropical Island Gran Canaria in Spain, and started to paint. After 11 years living here all year, I have now had several exhibitions, and on average I sell 2 paintings a month. My amazing hobby became a business. In this tropical paradise we have around 500 000 Norwegian tourists visiting every year, and since they all know me from TV or Magazines, they visit my exhibitions. I have a big social media system, and reach out to around 200 000 followers, through my groups and profiles. And this helps me to get my paintings out to the people.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“I am not political, and my paintings talk to each person individually, specially since it is abstract. It is my feeling of the day, and my mood who make the paintings. I also let people order/buy pieces by telling me the size and colors they want. Custom made for their space. But I still have my artistic and creative freedom when it comes to style, pattern or technique I want to use.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“Sometimes, my paintings come from something I see in my daily life, like people passing a cafe, on the beach, special colors I see, the sky, the ocean, a bikini, or a shirt, a song I hear and so on. But most of the time I just decide I want to paint, and just let the tools and paint take me through the process, and then after find objects or colors that tell me something in the abstract pattern. So, mostly by improvisation.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“No, only techniques. I let other artists inspire me, and teach me new techniques by following them on social media, and looking at their work. Then, I make up my own technique or mix others. The pieces I custom make for clients, restaurants, hotels or other official spaces I often have to follow special colors and these colors may be a part of an interior trend, specially if the piece is to hang in a new building or house.”
“To look at art is meditation and it keeps my creativity going. I believe fantasy and dreams are essential in life, so art means a lot to me.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I always paint on canvas, and I always use water based acrylic. Sometimes gold leaves, or gold spray. All kind of paste or glue if I want to have an uneven canvas. Then all from plastic cups, brushes of all kind and sizes, a hair blower with different speeds, and of course my hand and my fantasy.”
What does your art mean to you?
“I can sit and look at a painting, like people watch TV, for long time. Just to discover different patterns that tell me something, or looks like something. To look at art is meditation and it keeps my creativity going. I believe fantasy and dreams are essential in life, so art means a lot to me. When a custom piece or someone buy on of my pieces, it can even make me cry of happiness, because I see the piece coming from my fantasy means something to the buyer. Art is like music or poems, they tell us something, and makes us feel. All very important to a happy life.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“I simply love all shades of blue, maybe because I live in this tropical paradise and are surrounded by the sky and the ocean. So, I have to say that my favorite color is blue, again, in all shades. A few months a go one of my favorite painting, a quite big one, (140 x 140cm,) was purchased buy an Italian gentleman. He told me he bought it for his wife, the love of his wife, since it contained her favorite colors. His reaction to the painting, and the story he told, made this my absolute favorite painting.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have at all time an exhibition going in a friends restaurant here in Maspalomas, and it changes all the time. I also have a gallery in my house, and let people come for private showings. As well as my online gallery.”
