Creatives of Christianshavn
Every season, Modström pays tribute to strong, passionate women and their joy at what they do through the mantra, The Power of Joy. Based on young creative students from Christianshavn, Modström focuses on five cool, female students, all of whom have had Christianshavn as the center of their creative education. The women let us - wearing their favorite styles from the latest Modström collection - get close to their everyday life and work, where they tell about the processes behind their works to inspire all creative souls.
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Emilie Axters – Master in Fashiondesign, KADK
Tell us what you like about your craft and your creativity?
My creativity is rooted in curiosity. Curiosity of how things can be connected or put together again, and about learning new ways of creating. I love to immerse myself in different methods and try to challenge the conventional ways. Throughout my recent projects, I have focused a lot on sensuality and storytelling. In my process and my craft, I like to combine different media. I have worked with everything from clay to metal, photography and of course textiles. Not being afraid to explore new things and move outside of one's own comfort zone is a strength, a strength that can create fertile ground for exciting new ideas.
What has Christianshavn meant for your creativity and development?
Christianshavn has been my second home for five years now, throughout my studies. For me Christianshavn is a sanctuary where there is room to explore and experiment, and not at least where there is room for everyone. It is a place that is so full of diversity both in relation to people but also the area itself connects so many different things - there is the most beautiful canal, cobbled small streets and the slight-ly more raw areas as at the metro station. It is a huge inspiration and exciting when contrasts and differ-ences meet. I like to experiment with many different medias and combine things that at first glance may not seem to belong together. To have had the space and support for this has been such a big part of my development. At Christianshavn I have been able to be myself, work with what I want, and that freedom has given even more space to my creativity.
How do you use / have used Christianshavn, in addition to your school?
I mostly associate Christianshavn with school, which is very natural as I first moved here at the start of my studies and have only just finished my studies. Besides that, I have especially enjoyed the water in the area. I love looking out at the water, it's so relaxing. I have seen a lot of sunsets on a small wooden bench near the school and have taken many walks along the canal. A clear memory from Christianshavn is when we went to a jazz concert at Christiania - the music was free and happy, and it spread to our bodies. It really was a feeling of living in the now. That is probably the feeling I associate with Christianshavn.
Louise Holland - Master in Spatial Design, KADK
Tell us what you like about your craft and your creativity?
What I love about my field is having a visual form of expression and a special way of seeing and exploring the world. I enjoy having the opportunity to immerse myself in my projects and that there are parts of the process that can be very meditative. I feel lucky to study in a field where I constantly can switch be-tween working in analog and digital media and many medias. It's a bit like a big playground - but with a good portion of time pressure of course.
What has Christianshavn meant for your creativity and development?
Christianshavn and Holmen have meant a lot to my entire creative development. This is where I have primarily spent my time, meeting friends and like-minded people. Our campus is fantastic. We are in some ways isolated but still close to everything. I feel cut off from the rest of the city in a nice and rewarding way that lets me concentrate on my projects. It's like a small town, where you feel at home and safe, which is always a good setting for me to be creative in.
How do you use / have used Christianshavn, in addition to your school?
My everyday life takes place at Christianshavn and Holmen, whatever it is to pick up materials in the Green Hall at Christiania, an evening break at Kontiki, or a pit stop at Parterre with a friend. Especially in the summer I have used the green areas by the water. I enjoy that there are some more quiet places to meet than many other places in the city. Christianshavn and Holmen is a wonderful environment and san-ctuary.
Josefine Dyring – Master in Fashiondesign, KADK
Tell us what you like about your craft and your creativity?
I primarily work with knitwear as my craft. For me knitwear is not just finished garments, but just as much an activity and a community. Knitting is a time-consuming craft that, for me, has a sensuous and de-stressing effect. I don’t really possess much patience but knitting forces me to give my designs the time they require. The result is therefore also much more personal to me. I experience the same enthusiasm for the craft in combination with a community that is created through knitting as a craft when I share my knitting patterns.
I have always used my creative desire in an artistic or creative way, but knitting is the craft I have felt most at home in. I am fascinated by the fact that in such a manual way, you can create incredible things, just by using a pair of knitting needles and yarn.
When I start a new design, I enjoy creating my own inspiration. Here I use papier maché as a method. I turn abandoned newspapers into papier maché figures, which I actively use to develop new silhouettes, color combinations and stories in my knitwear.
What has Christianshavn meant for your creativity and development?
I graduated from the Royal Academy where I for the last 5 years have had my everyday life at Holmen, Christianshavn. I have always felt like part of something bigger, when me and my bike landed on the oth-er side of the bike bridge.
The surroundings around the school have been a big part of my education. Crossing the bridge from Ny-havn to Christianshavn every morning, being surrounded by water, historic buildings and beautiful nature, has been a very privileged and inspiring place to work. In summertime we have been bathing in the canal and drinking wine watching the sunset over the city.
One of the things I will remember and miss the most is sitting with my head buried deep in a sketch, a written assignment or difficult construction, but then being able to look out the window and see water, the Marble Church and blue sky, or take a coffee break by the water
How do you use / have used Christianshavn, in addition to your school?
I have used Christianshavn as one of my favorite places to hang out after school and in my weekends. I have bathed endlessly many times in the canal, where I have had my knitting or sketchbook in my bag. The good thing about my craft is that I can carry it everywhere. I am therefore always outside and work if the weather is good. In addition, me and my classmates have taken many walks when our heads needed air and sparring.
Sofie Sundby – Master in Furniture Design, KADK
Tell us what you like about your craft and your creativity?
What I like most about my craft and my creativity is the ability to give shape and work with my hands. My everyday life consists of an interaction between getting ideas and concept development, and then test-ing the thoughts I have, in a prototype. I love the scale you work in when working with furniture. I can make a prototype in 1:1 and test if the proportions work. That way I can work quickly and intuitively. My patience fits well with that kind of work process. I like best to move in a span between art and design. For me, it is important that a piece of furniture is good to use but also aesthetically pleasing to look at. It must create joy both actively and passively. I think a lot about what starting point a piece of furniture will have in the world and how it will affect a user and make them feel. For me, intention is the most important thing.
What has Christianshavn meant for your creativity and development?
Primarily Christianshavn reminds me of my school. The Royal Academy has given me the opportunity to unfold my creativity and challenge myself. I can work with the other students, and we can be inspired by each other and share ideas, it gives a good energy and drive. In addition, working with furniture requires a lot of machines, which I have ample opportunity to use at school. I have recently become part of a work-shop called Viadukten which is located under Langebro. It is run by the association Maker. The trip from the school to the workshop runs through the old Christianshavn. Maker is a member-based non-profit organization with a focus on creating value in collaboration with members, partners and public institu-tions. It is a community-based workshop community for local prototyping, development, and physical entrepreneurship. I look forward to spending many hours there, working on a project called Studio Poly. The project aims to create a collection of chairs out of recycled plastic.
How do you use / have used Christianshavn, in addition to your school?
I love going to The Green Hall at Christiania and buying materials and letting myself be inspired by the many fun things they have. For example, they have, old leaded windows and crooked old stairs, which come from different parts of the country. It is a good opportunity to have materials for prototypes so close, so that you can quickly get your ideas tested and at the same time get new inputs and inspiration along the way. On the days when the good ideas will not show up, I take a walk around the area and get a peace of mind and try to experience what is happening around me. I like going to galleries or to exhibitions and seeing new materials, color combinations and design. One place I often stop by is Charlottenborg Kunsthal which is located in Nyhavn just on the other side of the water from Christianshavn. There is always something exciting to look at that sets my head in motion again.
Tuva Victoria Belfrage – Master in Graphic Communication Design, KADK
Tell us what you like about your craft and your creativity?
I really enjoy working with illustration and graphic design because I can work both analog and digitally. Society today is very dependent of screens and digitalization, so I feel very lucky to be able to work so much with analog media, both commercially and artistic. For me the analogue touch is important in my design process as it is more unpredictable, and you can follow your development more clearly because you can’t delete you sketchbook. My illustration universe is playful and unperfect and my work can be messy and yet simple. I have created this universe for myself as a way of expressing my thoughts about what goes around me. I feel very privileged that I can share my art and more commercial graphic design with the world.
What has Christianshavn meant for your creativity and development?
The area around Christianshavn have had an immense impact on my creativity because of the calm and inspiring environment. When I arrive at school, I feel like I leave the daily stress from the big city behind. Christianshavn is a fantastic area to be creative in because it has this special calm atmosphere but is also full of culture and unique experiences. To be a creative student can be challenging at times because you are constantly pushed to creative new things and then it is important to be in an inspiring environment. Working from home during the corona pandemic has been very challenging for our creative development and I am so happy to be back at school again.
How do you use / have used Christianshavn, in addition to your school?
In summertime I especially use Christianshavn and when the weather is nice, we often go bathe in breaks or after school. At Christianshavn there is a really good balance between city life and nature, and you will always find something new to experience here. Whether it’s a hidden bar in a side street or a secret bathing spot.
