About Lars Hede
Lars Hede creates abstract, expressionist and colourful paintings with a distinctive hand-drawn quality. Bold black outlines and richly saturated colours come together, allowing the naïve and playful to unfold freely.
Lars is based in Aarhus but paints wherever he goes.
Every painting is a one-of-a-kind original – no work exists in more than one version.
Why do I paint?
At school, we were always painting “freaks” – grotesque heads – and having fun with it for as long as it lasted. Then, in 2006, I was working as a consultant on a project for people who were out of work in Ballerup. Painting was one of the activities on offer. Suddenly, the instructor said to me, “You should give it a try too.” Something caught hold of me right there.
For a long time, though, I wrestled with the idea that it had to look right and resemble something predetermined. Gradually, I began to find it exciting simply to see what emerged and to keep painting. I discovered that when I just painted, the hours disappeared and I entered a wonderful, timeless state – a kind of Zen. I liked that.
I kept painting. Sometimes three or four months, even half a year, would pass without my painting anything; then the urge would return. Lately, the need to paint is there almost every day, perhaps for half an hour, perhaps for three or four hours. I’m afraid it may have become chronic. 🙂
By now, I have grown used to the figures appearing of their own accord. They always do, sooner or later, so I no longer worry. They will come. And that, to me, is the most mysterious and wonderful thing about painting. They probably emerge from my subconscious, and that is perfectly fine. I am simply delighted that it is possible. Being able to paint is a source of immense and profound joy to me, so I suspect this may go on for quite some time. I’m afraid it has become chronic. 🙂