About Lisbeth Thygesen in English
The art of Lisbeth Thygesen
In my art I investigate the beauty of nature and its deeper, invisible layers. Through a detailed palette I explore magic, symbolism, folklore, dreams and mystical visions. Each work is a portal to a world where the known and the unknown meet – a world filled with subtle narratives and enigmatic symbols that invite the viewer to interpret and explore.
The motifs of nature, from which I draw inspiration, function not only as a framework of beauty, but as a medium to express the complex connections between the physical and the spiritual.
I am fascinated by how nature can be a portal to our inner world, a reflection of everything that is within us. In my paintings I try to balance the physical and the spiritual by combining realistic details with a supernatural mood, where the symbolism often acts as a key to understanding my art.
My work is not just a visual experience; it is also a spiritual exploration. Each image is an invitation to step into a world where magic lives in secret and where mystical visions come to life.
I see my paintings as a dialogue between the inner and the outer, where each brush stroke seeks to build a bridge between the visible and the subtle, between reality and myth.
I hope that my art can give a feeling of connectedness to something greater, and at the same time challenge and inspire the viewer to explore their own inner worlds.
Editor on danish art magazine Kunstavisen and art critic on danish newspaper Jyllandsposten, Tom Jørgensen, writes the following about my art:
“Lisbeth Thygesen.
Dreams and fables. These are the two key words when describing Lisbeth Thygesen’s visual world.
The dreams are her own. What we see in the pictures, and the stories we can deduce from them, is rooted in her dreams. Dreams that only appear in their entirety when the individual image is painted. This is a completely unconscious process.
Fables are tales with animals in the lead roles. Animals that have human characteristics and express human emotions, concepts and philosophies of life. The two best known fable storytellers are Aesop and la Fontaine, but Lisbeth Thygesen’s fables are deeply personal and come directly to her through her dreams.
Looking at the paintings, you discover two things. First, many of the animals and creatures have eyes placed around the body. Here one immediately comes to think of the Third Eye, which is the eye of cognition in Buddhist philosophy of life, from which one can look back into the past and into the future, but most importantly: see through and acknowledge life as suffering. A necessity to open the eye through meditation and practice. Thus, the Third Eye has to do with wisdom and recognition.
The other thing we immediately notice is Lisbeth Thygesen’s landscapes. This is the Nordic nature with deep, dark forests and with colors characterized by being subject to the seasons changes.
In this landscape and scenery we see bears, foxes, badgers and ravens, but also decidedly imaginary creatures. Lisbeth Thygesens art is based on the characteristics of the individual animal: the strong and extremely protective mother bear, the supple and agile fox, the smart raven and the shy badger living underground during the day and only coming out at night.
Lisbeth Thygesen paints the bear as a symbol of strength, courage and steadfastness. She might plant a budding little oak tree where the heart should be, to show that even the most humble and overlooked thing can grow big, strong and mighty. Not the only example of plant and flower symbolism by Lisbeth Thygesen. For instance she can place some beautiful purple fireweed in the hands of a badger’s spirit. Fireweed, that in flower symbolism express courage, humanity and protection, correspond well to the badger’s both literal and symbolic groundedness.
On the whole, many of Lisbeth Thygesen’s paintings revolve around the necessity of being able to rest deep within oneself and dare to take the leap forward, upward and inward towards wisdom. About the necessity of reaching a self-insight, for only then can one come into harmony with one’s surroundings, with nature, the world and everything.
In other words, if Lisbeth Thygesen’s skilfully executed paintings are rooted in personal experiences and personal dreams, their message is universal and existential.”
– Tom Jørgensen