Lise Uhrskov

The inspiration for the work by Danish artist and designer Lise Uhrskov is right outside her doorstep. Living in the historic Latin Quarter in central Copenhagen, Lise is always surrounded by colourful buildings and creative people. “There is a nice relaxed atmosphere and people know each other,” she tells. “There are a lot of vintage stores, and people mix styles. I love when people wear a stylish suit but with bold shoes or a big hat that does not fit with the rest of the outfit.”

It is these people as well as bold colours that are the main theme in Lise’s motifs. The colours are influenced by pop art and she enjoys mixing together patterns and strong personalities: “I like to create happy, quirky and a little flamboyant people and characters,” she says. She works with larger areas of colours and simplified forms to really let the colours be in focus. “I use colours to play with depth, perspective, and visual illusions to create a sense of movement and dimension.”

Her most recent work is a series that seeks to portray the relationships between people and how we interact with each other. She explains that she is fascinated by the human experience and how different personalities can come together.

Living the dream

With a lot of her inspiration being in her immediate surroundings, Lise has made a studio at home. Which also makes it easy for her to continue her work when inspiration occurs.

However, this also means that Lise really appreciates and prioritises slower weekends. “My week is busy like most people so I like a calm Saturday. I like to listen to the bird in my backyard where I have planted small trees and plants.” The afternoons are spent with her family, going to the skatepark with her son and having dinner with her sister and her family.

“I think I am living my dream,” Lise says and continues thoughtfully: “Maybe I would like to work more abroad. I live a busy life so maybe my dream is to have more time to take time off.”