Interview
Sanne Rasmussen
Sanne Rasmussen was born in 1960 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She has always had a passion for art. In 2010 she had the opportunity to start living out her dream of working and developing her art. Being creative brings her great joy. For many years now, she has been taught by the artist Daniel Goldenberg, at his studio in Copenhagen, and she has attended courses at the Art School of Copenhagen as well. Sanne is inspired from everyday impressions and experiences. She also gets much inspiration from traveling - especially the idea of the modern person in a big city. Portraiture also plays a very special role in her repertoire.
Sanne’s art often takes its starting point in depicting the everyday life of people in urban cities. The scenes are taken directly out of the city pulse – be it Copenhagen, London, Paris or New York. She loves to play with light and shadow in her paintings, using classic techniques with layers, coupled with modern expression.
Could you tell us about your background and how you started your journey in the art world?
“My name is Sanne Rasmussen. I was born and raised south of Copenhagen in Denmark. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I loved being creative and trying out different techniques and materials. But like so many others, I chose the safe path of education. With an education in the financial sector, my career path was paved ahead. I spent 32 years in this field.
My working life ended abruptly in 2007 when I was seriously injured in a team building accident. After years of rehabilitation, art became my way back to life and joy. For a few years now, I have been taught by painter Daniel Goldenberg, and I have taken courses at the art school Spektrum in Copenhagen.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I am very inspired by Edward Hopper. His way of interpreting the life of the age. The simple way of capturing light and the present in his works.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
As written by Kirsten-Marie Hedeland:
“Sanne found a new path in life. Art gripped her and became her path, which has enriched her life in a wonderfully present way, where she has found her own melody in the form, the color, the composition, the motif, the narrative and in the pictorial expression. One can sense a connection between Sanne’s own story and life and the people she portrays and whose lives she portrays on the canvas. She creates a space for reflection and contemplation and to experience a meaning around life.
The city's life unfolds for her and it gives her so many experiences she just has to paint and interpret. She creates a recognizable reality with a renewed and refreshing attention. The pictorial language is exciting and interesting and shows a committed artist who knows how to create balance in the expressed, and who with careful consideration of the immediate surroundings can be inspired by an observation, by people in a metropolitan world. Sanne Rasmussen has a sense of compositions and story telling and it is clear that she enjoys immersion in painting.”
“Sanne has a sense of composition and story telling and it is clear that she enjoys immersion in painting.”
How would you describe your work?
Kirsten-Marie Hedeland continues:
“Sharpness and accuracy collide with the sensuality and dynamics of (Sanne’s) painting. Sanne's character gallery appears in several of the expressions. Our attention is sharpened in a different way and our curiosity is piqued. Contrasts are connected between enjoyment of life and melancholy and there is a strength and a very special atmosphere hidden between the lines and the shapes. Her world of motifs demands something of the viewer and it is in many ways a sensual and thought provoking experience to take part in Sanne Rasmussen's depiction of life in everyday glimpses.”
What would you say inspires you most?
“People in cafes with their laptops and cell phones, engulfed in their own little circles. We live in a world where we are very much online. We document our ‘happy’ lives on social media and yet many feel lonely and isolated. In the way of living, I have found my inspiration from everyday images.”
What is your creative process like?
“My creative process involves visual stimulation and reflecting on motive. I have a lot of focus on light, as well as shadow being a supporting element in my works. Getting a movement out on a flat canvas is very inspiring to me.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“The arts and crafts are important to our society. It helps to strengthen our senses and stimulate our curiosity. It was clear during the shutdown during Covid 19 how people missed art and being able to go to museums and art exhibitions.”
