A personal encounter with Svend Wiig Hanssen
Svend Wiig Hansen was much like his sculptures, paintings, and graphic works—dynamic, physical, and full of movement, yet at the same time thoughtful and philosophical. That is how I remember Svend. A visit to the home of Svend and his wife, Leila, was particularly inspiring. Erik Holgersson and I traveled down from Gothenburg in my car. Svend was waiting on the quay in Helsingør, welcoming us with a rose in his hand, which he gave to me. Upon arriving at the large house, the door was opened by Leila—Svend’s wife, who was also an artist, a ceramicist, and a painter. She had prepared a fantastic meal. We sat around the table, talking and laughing, and enjoyed a wonderful time together. The entire large house breathed with creative energy. Svend showed us around his sculpture studio and painting studio, explaining what he was currently working on. We stayed for a few days. In my next post, I will share more about Svend Wiig Hansen and the tour we took with him to see his public art installations in Copenhagen.
