Does Dark Art Have a Home? — with Arne Ohlsen

This week Flick joins me in Copenhagen for a chat with artist Arne Ohlsen.

Arne started his art practice in Australia while working as a carpenter, painting on wooden offcuts because canvas was out of reach. He gained momentum quickly, exhibited at several shows, and moved into a full-time creative practice before returning to Europe, where the work turned darker, leaning into identity, isolation, power and struggle.

We talk about the real differences between making art in Australia and Europe, whether struggle actually produces more emotionally powerful work, and what happens to a practice when the desire to sell starts shaping what gets made. We get into his decision to keep carpentry alongside his art career, the pull between experimentation and building a recognisable style, and why his version of success isn't commercial art stardom but a nice studio in a warm climate.

Arne also opens up about his discomfort with being seen, how comparison in the art world knocked his confidence, and the challenge every working artist faces: promoting your work without becoming a version of yourself that doesn't feel real.

Find Arne on Instagram here!

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