Lars Bjerre

Wood is one of the recurring themes in his artworks and also in his space. His current series of paintings showcase abandoned places, depicting traces of human life that nature is slowly conquering back. A large-scale unfinished oil painting is leaning against one wall, showing an old man from the back sitting in some kind of hangar that is falling apart.
Lars Bjerre finds beauty in these intersections between the manmade world and the wild, untamed nature. He explores what happens when those two worlds collide. Are we even still able to tell them apart? Is a staple of cut wood still nature or manmade? Before he started his latest series titled ‘Beverly Hills’, he spent a few weeks in Romania where he found inspiration for his artwork.

Before Lars Bjerre took a master in fine arts at Central Saint Martins College in London, he studied psychology and pedagogy and he is still interested in the human state of mind, examining how difficult it can be to fit in our modern society. Everyday we play different roles, we are pupils, customers, sons or daughters, employees or drivers, wearing different masks, hiding behind a certain understanding of the role models. Bjerre is taking a closer look at our roles and the emotions that come with it. No matter if it is fear, joy, insecurity or confusion, anything can influence his works.
In his studio we also find some ordinary objects that are wrapped in delicate threads, as part of an ongoing project that he started some time ago. We especially enjoy the various materials Bjerre is using to create his art.

His next project will be about the Arctic as he is planing to go on different expeditions, traveling all the way up to Greenland and the North Pole. His dream would be to “save” an iceberg and to bring it all the way to an exhibition in Europe. Though there are some logistical questions left to implement this project, we’re definitely looking forward to seeing what he’ll bring back with him.

Photography by Ana Santl | Words by Caroline Kurze