Svend Wiig Hansen (1922–1997)

Danish sculptor, painter and graphic artist – monumental expressionist

Svend Wiig Hansen is considered one of Denmark's most significant expressionist artists of the 20th century. He worked with sculpture, painting, graphics and book illustrations, but became especially known for his monumental sculptures such as Mother Earth , Oceania and Man by the Sea , which today stand as iconic works in Danish art history.

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Background and education

Svend Wiig Hansen was born in Møgeltønder in 1922. After a youth with changing jobs, including as a preparer of church sculptures, he applied to the Academy of Fine Arts' School of Sculpture, where he studied from 1946 to 1950 under Johannes Bjerg and Einar Utzon-Frank. As early as 1946, he made his debut at the Artists' Autumn Exhibition. His first works were sculptures, but he quickly developed to also work with painting, drawing and graphics.

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Career and artistic work

The breakthrough came in 1954, when the sculpture Mother Earth was exhibited in front of Aarhus City Hall and created both debate and attention. The following year, the painting The Seekers attracted great attention at the Free Exhibition. The human figure was always the center of his art – often depicted dramatically, bodily and in monumental proportions.

Wiig Hansen found great inspiration in Mexican sculpture, which he experienced in Stockholm in 1952, and in trips to Greece in 1957. He co-founded the exhibition group Mennesket in 1957 and became a member of Den Frie in the same year. He exhibited internationally in Gothenburg, New York and São Paulo, among others, and participated in the Venice Biennale in 1964, where he created a gigantic wall drawing in the Danish pavilion.

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Characteristics of artistic style

His expression was expressionistic, powerful and dramatic, often focusing on humans in existential situations. The body was represented in oversized forms – both in painting and sculpture. He challenged the audience by working live in front of them, for example in Nikolaj Kirke in 1974, where he painted directly on large canvases in front of an audience.

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Iconic works

• Mother Earth (1954) – monumental sculpture that sparked fierce debate in Aarhus.
• The Seekers (1955) – painting, National Gallery of Denmark.
• Oceania (1992) – monumental bronze sculpture in Odense, popularly known as "the reclining woman".
• Man by the Sea (1995) – four 9-meter-high white sculptures on the coast of Esbjerg, today a landmark for the city.
• Reclining Woman (1980, later reworked as Oceania) – sculpture with oversized shapes.
• The Earth Weeps (1981) – painting with strong expressionist power.
• Lineage Lifts Lineage (2000, posthumously) – bronze sculpture at Gammel Strand, Copenhagen.
  
  

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Other works and decorations

Svend Wiig Hansen created large public decorations for, among others, Roskilde Library (1970), Tårnby Town Hall (1971), Herning Central Hospital (1976), Kastrup Church (1978) and the Technical University of Denmark (1980). He also worked as a book illustrator for, among others, Henry Miller, Walt Whitman, Inger Christensen and Pablo Neruda.

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Legacy and legacy

Wiig Hansen became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen from 1971 to 1976 and received, among other things, the Prince Eugen Medal in 1976. However, he rejected both the Eckersberg and Thorvaldsen Medals as an artistic statement. Today, he stands as one of Denmark's most prominent expressionists, and his monumental works – especially Man by the Sea – are beloved landmarks and symbols of man's encounter with nature and his own existence.

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Experience Svend Wiig Hansen's art at KLASSIK

At KLASSIK we sell original works and graphics by Svend Wiig Hansen. His expressive style and monumental expression make his art sought-after collectors' items on both the Danish and international markets.

If you can't find the exact work you are looking for, we are happy to help you. Contact us at support@klassik.dk or call 33 33 90 60 – or visit us at Bredgade 3, Copenhagen.