For the love of wine and women

At The Ode To we are always curious to learn more about creativity and artistry, so we asked Jennie Petersen to tell us a little bit about her life, her art and her sources of inspiration.

Your series of artworks is called Stripes, can you tell us why?

– With this series I wanted to explore the unexpected, and the meeting between unexpected situations. You would expect a lady, wearing striped pajamas, to be drinking coffee, right? But my ladies are wearing pajamas and drinking wine, and they do so unapologetically.

What inspires you?

– In general, I’m inspired by women: women who take place, who dare to be themselves, and dare to say no to society’s ideals and norms. The women that I paint are all of that, they take their place, and they don’t care about how they look or what other people think of them. I’m also very inspired by the artist Helene Schjerfbeck and her portraits. I admire how she captured the emotions of the women in her paintings.

Can you tell us about your background and how you came to be an artist?

– Creativity is very important to me, and painting creates a harmonic balance in my life. I started painting a couple of years ago, but it wasn't until quite recently I found my direction. As most women, I had this feeling that I wasn’t good enough. So, I decided I wanted to challenge the norm and the way we perceive the female body, but I also wanted to reinforce the feeling that I was good enough. The process of painting different bodies and ladies made me see different lines and curves that are truly beautiful, in contradiction to seeing what the ideal is saying to us women.

How would you describe your art and aesthetics in three words?

– Stripes, wine and women.


What we love about Jennie Petersen:

The art of Jennie Petersen speaks right to our hearts: the colours, the unapologetic expression and the superior craftsmanship leaves us in awe.