Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christian Beijer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Christian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I was never suited for a so called normal occupation. Already as a teenager I saw through the system, and didn´t want to participate at all. Just because I go crazy if I don´t feel freedom and not having the chance of being creative. I have tried DJing, photography, I was a clothes designer for almost 10 years and the I found my way back to painting which was my favourite thing as a kid. So it´s been my profession for more than 30 years now.
It´s like I never had any choice. It is not like a call, it´s more like a curse. You see, that means you´ll have to survive on your creativity. You can never give up. You´ll always have to perform a little bit better than last year. I usually say you gotta have courage to do what I do, as you never know what money is coming next month. That gives you a certain drive.
I named my studio Cojones. Because you need that. It´s not for everyone. And the joke is -I didn´t want to work 9-5 so now I work 24/7.
But I love it.
I would surely go nuts in an office. Let´s say 3 months maximum. My head would explode of all ideas, or I´d do my own stuff all night and never get any sleep. So yes I am painting mostly, but also interior design. I´ve made about 7 restaurants. Designed 2 Vodka bottles and 2 Gin bottles. Also designed awards, statues and many other stuff.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I was always creating since I was a little boy. All my toys needed new colors so instead of buying candy in the weekends I bought different kind of paint. Also all comic book heros needed to be copied, from Mickey Mouse to Tintin. I even re-builded the cars for my race track. More Mad Max i guess. Today my main focus is painting. I use acrylic paint and brushes on canvas. My aim has always been the marvel of humans. My paintings always had an attitude. I was raised in the punk era. I was a teenager when it all exploded -77. My paintings often contains flowers and different animals. I love to paint birds. Tropical birds. I am more for nature than the big cities.
When I started 1990 you couldn´t find anything like my paintings. Now it´s more normal, specially maybe amongst the streetartists. I am proud to say that I paved a way for younger artists to dare to paint whatever they wanted. I am represented in my towns biggest church with my version of the crucifiction. So I started 1990 and already 1993 I had a big exhibition in London. MTv was there. And some famous rock stars. Proud again.
As I can be a little wild in my style I´ve always been invited to design stuff. To create restaurants have been a lot of fun. To make the whole feeling of it. And the gin I do now. Man it´s going real good.
My motto nowadays is: I hope to make as many people as possible happy for a while or at least smile when they see my work
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I wish people didn´t take culture for granted. Nowadays people think that all should be for free. I ususally ask people with bad attitude if they like Movies? Art? Books? Theater? Music? etc
Try to make the imagine how many of us that fall aside because the hard competition for the money. How many does it take to make one great movie producer for example.
Buy from local artist. Support your local creatives. Be proud of them. Help to share their stories. tell people about them.
Also I think you should look over the taxes for creatives.
People only see the rich and famous of us, and think we have enough. They never see the struggle, the passion, the late nights, the offering, the praying. It´s a long road to travel and you gotta be tough. Strong nerves and no urge for fancy stuff.
Buy that record. See that show. Buy a painting, giclee or even a poster. Tell them they are good enough. It is so easy.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Oh that´s an easy one. I have no boss. Nobody to tell me what to do and when, and then drive away in a Porsche Cayenne. I have my freedom. For example when winter is hard on me, the dark and the cold, maybe I go to friends in Brazil or Jamaica. Stay 6 weeks. Yes I can do that. Live in your friends houses. Cook your own food. Get fuelled up with sun and colors. Get new inspiration for new paintings or other stuff. Nobody can tell me No you can´t go. Of course I´ll have myself to blame, but as I don´t have a lot of expenses I can do that. As I said before. Fancy stuff don´t bother me. My freedom does. And being a creative I´ve managed to make a comfortable home anyway, good enough to get into interiour magazines.
Also when I need a new dining table I don´t go to the fancy store to buy one, I design it myself, collect old wood from barns etc, and ask some carpenter friend to help me create the table. Creative freedom and very eco.
I had an old Jaguar. It was not in a very good shape. So I contacted a mechanic friend and asked if I could join him in his garage. Some questions asked and after a summer I had tore down the whole engine, put it together again fully repaired. By my own hands. Creative freedom. I just love it.
Another rewarding aspect is that as I am an artist, people treat me likewise. They expect me to be different. Now that´s freedom. It also means I have friends all the way from the park benches all the way up to high society. They are all just people to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cbeijer.com
- Instagram: christianbeijer
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristianBeijerArts
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/christian-beijer-5a355b30