Kirsten Justesen

Place: Copenhagen

Born: 1943

Biography:

Kirsten Justesen is a Danish artist born in 1943 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She studied classical sculpture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and graduated in 1975. Her work includes body art, performance art, sculpture, and installation. Justesen was part of the 1960s avant-garde scene and a pioneer in three-dimensional art that incorporates the artist's own body. She created feminist art intended to challenge traditional value systems during the 1970s. Her later works examine relationships between body, space, and language. Justesen has created exhibitions, events, museum installations, performances, and murals since the mid-60s. She has a lifelong grant from The Danish Arts Foundation and has taught in Scandinavia, the U.S., and the Middle East. Justesen advocates for women artists’ rights and influence in the art world through her work on various boards and positions in foundations, and by co-organizing seminars concerning women artists’ positions in society. Justesen has designed theatre sets since 1967 and has collaborated with ballet companies in the 1990s. She has published two books: 'Kors Drag' in 1999 and 'Meltingtime # 11' in 2003. Justesen's work has a sharp political edge and challenges the art world and society's gender perceptions and marginalization of women.