Meet an expert: The art of Colours

After years of working as a textile designer, I realised that colours were an essential aspect of the creation. They can structure a collection and makes the whole difference. My vision has expanded with story telling through art photography. Being able to catch the moment where the light, the shadow, and the colours come together in a perfect harmony is so powerful. I capture these moments to make sure they remain as memory and a source of inspiration – that is what I call, “the power of colours”.

I see it as an overall headline, as if colours and light would combine and tell a story. Why not listen when it is all around us? I work hard to reach the perfect harmonies with colours. When I find the “perfect” combination, it clicks and everything makes sense. It is so satisfying. With my camera, I catch moments of colours and light combinations, which I later use to translate into colour stories. This is my mission in life.

HOW I TELL A STORY [Photography by Dorte Lenau Klint]

Growing up with three siblings, colours were given to my brothers and me from our parents, in order to avoid arguments.

We were associated with a specific colour, which were then tagged on our towels, toothbrush, mugs etc. My colour was red, as I was the only girl. But even then my favourite colour was blue.

MY FAVORITE SEAWEED [Photography by Dorte Lenau Klint]

I have a very strong second memory. When I was about 5 years old, my mother had the most beautiful dress made by a tailor. I remember very clearly looking through the material and colour books from Paris, fascinated by all the colours.

My childhood was all about colours and storytelling. My mother had a thing with weekdays and colours; such as Monday was blue, Wednesday was yellow and so forth. Just the thought that colours could be more than just a colour fascinated me, even though I did not understand it.

It feels like a natural thing. Colours are everywhere; from the symphony of colours you get while cooking, the colours in my own home and what I choose to wear. Colours have the power to express a mood and influence you experience life itself.

Colours are essential in my private as well as in my professional spheres. I have been forever obsessed with the coordination and play of colours, and how they express themselves apart, and together. As long as I can remember it has always been at the centre of my focus. At school I coordinated the colours of my cloth everyday. Regardless of the colours itself, my focus was always on the story I was trying to tell through the colour combination. At 12, I decided to dress like the French flag, so I choose clothes in red, blue and white. Voila!

THE COLOUR PALETTE OF NATURE [Photography by Dorte Lenau Klint]

If a colour had a voice what would it say? It all depends on the eyes of the beholder – so yes, I do believe that there is a cultural aspect to colours as well as language and attitudes.

Our history and traditions affect our choices. There is a predetermination in which will be your favourite colour and it’s meaning to you depending on where you were raised.

Living in Denmark, gave me a strong attraction to the cold colour palette, which have greatly influenced the way I décor my home and my personal taste.

However, traveling South, East and West inspires me to look at colour combination in a different way. I let the space for new palettes in my perception of the world.

“My mission in life: capture this perfect moment when colours and light fusion together”.