Berlin-based Danish artist Henrik Simonsen is an experienced painter and printmaker whose work primarily focuses on the natural world. A keen draughtsman, freehand drawing forms the basis of Simonsen’s stunning compositions that explore the world of flora and fauna through simple lines, shapes and forms.

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Nature has been a central theme in Simonsen’s work for many years, perhaps inspired by his Scandinavian roots - the region has a long tradition for art and design inspired by natural forms - but he is also drawn to its inexhaustible richness and metaphorical ability to speak of human existence, as well as life, passion and the brevity of existence.

Like his chosen subject matter, the process of creating his work is an organic one. Whether making a painting or an original print, he allows the elements he creates to ‘grow’ on the surface of the canvas or paper. Colour plays a major part in his work, with certain hues representing particular seasons or moods. He has also more recently experimented with more abstract forms by way of applying paint or ink in less conventional ways, such as pouring or dripping, allowing his work to become less controlled and acting as the perfect contrast to the more refined graphite lines. The history of each of his pieces is also important to Simonsen, and he rarely erases any marks he makes while creating them.

“When asked what I do I will tell people that I paint, but I think that I should say that I draw. The main element in my work is drawing. The attraction to drawing stems from the directness of the mark making process and the simple, yet magical way lines on a surface create shapes and forms. I do all my drawing freehand even if I repeat an element, as I feel that projectors or stencils take the life and strength out of the line”.