Pernille Snedker Hansen - Gentle Traveller

For Pernille Snedker Hansen, colour holds deliberate meaning, as she carefully selects a palette of shades to evoke specific atmospheres. Her work is not just about individual colours or patterns but about how they interact with the architectural context of the space. Each marbled surface, when viewed up close, reveals intricately coloured lines, yet from a distance, they blend into a coherent motif, harmonising with the surrounding environment.

Embracing this meticulous craftsmanship, Snedker Hansen spends countless hours experimenting in her studio, enriching interior spaces with the slow, historical, and colourful practice of marbling. The process, for her, is meditative, allowing her to lose track of time as she explores new applications of patterns on various materials.

Person in a paint-splattered outfit holds a colorful, patterned stone against a plain background. — ‘Digital Seeds’, a series of marbled wooden sculptures shown at the Danish Biennale for Design & Crafts in 2023.
© Courtesy of the artist

Which place do you currently call home and where do you work on your projects?

I live and work in Aarhus, Denmark. I have lived here for 9 months, since I moved here from Copenhagen.

Do you have a favourite place in your area where you like to relax and linger?

I live in the beautiful old town of Aarhus, in Mejlgade. I live next to some nice small cafés and stores, but when I want to really relax and wind down, I go to the beach and the forest which are a 15 min walk from my house. I am a member of the winter bathing club, and a dip in the ocean, in winter or summer, is the best way to relax and clear the head.

Charming cobblestone street lined with colorful houses, greenery, and bicycles in a quaint neighborhood. — The colourful half-timbered houses of Møllestien, one of Aarhus’s oldest streets, were restored in the 1960s.
© Photo: Steffen Muldbjerg, Unsplash

Are there any urgent political issues or problems in your region?

I feel there are many problems. Climate change is one issue which is often pushed aside. The ocean surrounding Denmark is in very bad shape, and in general, I am very frustrated about the lack of wild nature and our lack of appreciation for nature.

But in general it is a very good place to raise kids and I feel that Denmark in general is a very safe and easygoing place to live with a high standard of living and a fairly homogenous population. The problems we have here are mostly peanuts compared to other countries.

In your opinion, what has developed well in the last 5 years—and what has not?

Now I have only lived in Aarhus for 9 months, so it is limited what I can say about the city’s development in the past, but personally I think the Aarhus Ø district brings a new energy and international atmosphere to the city. Especially when you look at all the new striking buildings by the beach next to the city.

People walking on a cobblestone street near a tall church with a clock tower and blue sky in the background. — Aarhus Cathedral stands on Domkirkepladsen in the historic city centre.
© Photo: Julia Taubitz, Unsplash

Cityscape featuring a busy road, buildings with orange roofs, and a blue sky with clouds. — The Port of Aarhus, located in the heart of Aarhus at the mouth of the Aarhus River.
© Photo: Kaiison, Unsplash

Do you know a hidden gem when it comes to local manufacturers—whether it’s arts and crafts, sustainable products or food?

Bruunshaab Gamle Papfabrik near Viborg is an interesting place. It is an old paper factory, now operating as a living museum, where they still produce paper in small quantities. They also have annual artist residencies and exhibitions, where the artist‘s starting point is the paper and cardboard made on site.

Is there anything particularly innovative in your region? Also in comparison to other places you have already visited?

As a design-maker, Godsbanen in Aarhus is an important place for the creative community and for fostering creativity in general.
Godsbanen is a beautiful old building next to the train tracks, which has been redesigned into a big community house. The building houses a café, concert halls, exhibitions, studios and most importantly for me, workshops for wood, metal, ceramics and textiles, and where you can work, experiment and build things yourself.

A close-up of a brush poised above a circular red ink pattern on a textured surface. — Pernille Snedker Hansen uses Suminagashi, a traditional Japanese marbling technique, to create patterns on the surface of water.
© Courtesy of the artist

Again, Aarhus Ø appears innovative with new harbour baths, winter bathing clubs with saunas, various forms of water sports, and spectacular new buildings. It may not be considered innovative per se, but the city’s location is quite ingenious, as it is surrounded by two beautiful forests and the sea with lovely beaches. This way, you can cycle or walk directly from the city centre and jump into the sea in 5-10 minutes.

I live in the old part of town, which is very well preserved, with beautiful features on the buildings, such as old ornamented doors and gates. The old courtyards are preserved and open, so there are many small treasures, hidden small shops, bars and cafés to stumble upon and explore. I love the contrast between the old city centre and the new harbour front.

People relaxing along a wooden promenade by a canal in Aarhus, with buildings and trees in the background. — Aarhus Å runs through the city centre beside the cafés and public spaces of Åboulevarden.
© Photo: Kim Bruhn, Pixabay

Do you have a secret restaurant tip that you would like to share with us?

Firstly, there is a new restaurant, Bavn Restaurant at Aarhus Oje, located near the top of Denmark’s tallest building. It boasts an amazing view, and I’m eagerly anticipating experiencing it soon.

Bardok restaurant is also a great place, and on the budget side, there is a fantastic little French restaurant on my own street, Mejlgade, called Oli-Bistro. The owner is French, and the quality and prices are reminiscent of a classic, rural bistro in France.

A chef in a red cap stands behind a bar, with a plate of pasta and a glass of red wine in the foreground. — Food preparation at Bardok, where handmade pasta and dumplings are served alongside a carefully selected wine list.
© Bardok

Wooden table with two black chairs in front of a shelf filled with various wine bottles and spirits against a blue tiled w... — Bardok’s dining room is lined with bottles from the bistro’s carefully selected wine list.
© Bardok

Imagine you could be mayor for a year—what would you change?

If I had unlimited financial resources, the first thing I would do as mayor of my city for a year would be to work on removing car traffic from the city centre using underground tunnels to make room for more public transport and to open up areas for nature and city life. I would also focus on cleaning up the bay in Aarhus so that fish, porpoises, seals, and other marine animals could thrive in the sea again. Additionally, I would further invest in cultural life and new cultural attractions, as Aarhus is already known for its vibrant cultural scene.

One last question: If you could choose another place to live—regardless of financial or time constraints—which one would you choose?

A place with a warmer climate and more nature, mountains and deep forests.

Denmark is very flat, there isn’t much nature, and almost all areas consist of either fields or buildings. It’s also cold and dark in the winter months, which can cause people to feel a sense of winter depression. So many Danes – including myself – long for sun, warmth, and more magnificent, authentic nature with high biodiversity.