Bjørn Brøndsted was born in 1978 in the community of Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he learned early to find strength in being different. As a kid, he already loved painting; he was surrounded by art and artists and especially his grand-parents were passionate and introduced him to the wonders of art. He moved to Canada in 2010 and has since lived in the amazing city of Montreal, after having lived in both Wales and Scotland. 

His creative career started in 1998 when he became owner and designer of his own clothing company (Celle 2 and Cocoon (two Fashion clothing design boutiques), 1998-2001, Copenhagen, Denmark). In 2009 he received his bachelor in Social education from UCC, University of Copenhagen. It was during this period that he attended his first art classes and sold his first paintings, both originals and commissioned.

When he arrived in Canada in 2010 he started exploring with airbrush, and was soon commissioned to painting on motorcycles. In 2013 Bjørn started a line of high-end hand crafted and hand painted art lamps (sold at Homier, Luduvik, etc.). In 2014, Bjørn traveled to Stamford, USA, to attend an Airbrush Getaway Workshop where he obtained a Certificate in Achieving Photorealism. He was then invited to share his art process in Airbrush Technique Magazine, Issue 51 (2014). In 2016, Radio Canada made an audio interview on Bjørn’s art lamps inspired by the Danish concept of Hygge.

https://www.rcinet.ca/fr/2016/02/16/de-la-lumiere-danoise-pour-illuminer-nos-hivers/comment-page-1/

In 2019 he participated in his first ever collective exhibit, Kink Art 2, where he presented some of his paintings along with more than 20 other artists. This event was held at Rond Point in Hochelaga, Montréal on November 23rd 2019 and commissioned by Audrey Desrosiers. He was then selected to present at MusArt 2021 (August 3rd-14th 2021), an exhibit organized by D’Art et de Rêves, an artists residency in Sutton, in the Eastern Townships. This time, he showcased only one painting, but was sharing walls with great artists such as Marcelle Ferron, Rita Letendre, Melsa Montagne, Brigitte Normandin, Simon Bossé, Garnotte, and even an artwork from fameous artist Salvador Dali. In March 2020, Bjørn started the Mastery Program with Milan Art Institute, a comprehensive visual arts education (2,080 hours, completion in November 2021).

Bjørn has dreams for artistic projects that he wants to realize; he wants to reach people with the truth of his paintings.

Inspiration

Bjørn creates works of art where his sense of truth and being alive is expressed through visions of movement and poise, elegance and contrast. He is a mixed medial oil artist that finds questions and answers in the depth of eyes, the movement of bodies, the grace of nature; they meet where natural law has no place, where mysteries live.

Bjørn is greatly inspired by realism, surrealism, impressionism as well as abstract art. Artist as varied as Rembrandt, Dali, Monet, Hironymous Bosch, Gustav Klimt, and Jackson Pollock have all influenced his artistic expression, even as he continues to educate himself about art history and discovering new artists to inspire him.

Bjørn paints because it gives him joy like nothing else, and because he cannot and will not stop.

Bjørn wishes that his art inspires to cherish, respect and celebrate the truth of the moment and the mysteries of life.

Quest for truth and wonder

To the question “What are you trying to answer with your art?” he replies, “I believe art can change people, and when it happens it’s because the artwork helps reveal a truth to the viewer. That truth is the question I try to find with every brush stroke, and reveal in every painting.”

When asked who he would like to paint a portrait of, Bjørn answers “Someone with a story to tell; someone who knows what it means to cry and drown in their own tears, someone who knows what it means to pick themselves up and stand tall despite the odds, someone who knows what it means to laugh and dance with the blessing of the moment; someone who has known despair but yet hopes, someone who still knows magic.