MUNTHE ART MONDAY: BIRGITTE VAD

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Birgitte Vad. I live on Møn and work with art and design. I’ve worked in the Danish fashion industry before dedicating myself to painting seven years ago. My practice primarily focuses on women. In my paintings, I portray women’s inner lives, vulnerabilities, and strengths. Using a cloud of pink hues, I draw on elements of fashion, enticing the eye with "eye candy" materials like mirrors and silk. Behind the striking and alluring exterior lie ambiguous motifs and stories filled with deep, serious thoughts.

I’m a material freak. I love exquisite textiles and can’t resist a good thrift store. That’s where I find the most beautiful materials—a silk blouse from the ’80s becomes a silk painting on a stretcher frame. A lovely, heavy linen tablecloth turns into a draped textile piece. I dye, paint on, and reshape these materials, incorporating them into my works.

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

I listen to Billie Eilish on intense repeat when I paint. I feel mirrored in her tender, honest, and angry universe. I read fiction by female authors and revel in their descriptions of feelings and observations. The author Rachel Cusk holds a special place in my heart. She uses words to express what I try to convey in my paintings.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a woman in the arts?

I wish there were a stronger tradition of organized collaboration among female artists—to pave the way for each other and create more partnerships. It can be challenging to stand and work alone.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

Being a woman is, in many ways, my career. I work almost exclusively with women as my subject. I use materials and colors charged with femininity. My audience is often women. Honestly, I’m quite satisfied being a woman, even if the wider career world rarely gives women a head start.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

I hope to resonate with other souls. That you see a little bit of yourself.