ON CRAFTING JOY
A portrait of artist and ceramicist
JULIE WITTRUP PLADSBJERG
Meet Julie Wittrup Pladsbjerg. A Danish artist transforming knitting and ceramics into vibrant works of art. In her studio in Aalborg, surrounded by skeins of yarn, sketches and blocks of clay, she spends her days turning everyday experiences into playful combinationsof stitches, textures, and words – a creative process deeply intertwined with the atmosphereand aesthetics of her surroundings.
A Journey into Art: Layer by layer
Julie Wittrup Pladsbjerg’s path into the world of knitted art began nine years ago when she first picked up knitting needles to create clothes for her newborn child. What started as a cute hobby, however, soon grew into a passion, evolving from crafting tiny garments to creating intricate and expressive
works of art.
Her first art piece, created in January 2023, emerged from a challenging period in her life. “Just before creating my firstnpiece, I had gone through a really difficult period. I had a lot of emotions bottled up and needed an outlet. That’s when I
decided to channel my feelings into my knitting,” she shares.
Though she has only worked as an artist for a few years, the power of Julie’s compositions is unmistakeable. Much like her interior style, her artworks are layered, both in aesthetics and in meaning. Her pieces, often featuring melancholic texts, reflect Julie’s journey through stress and recovery. Though many of her pieces are small, the words they hold carry great meaning.
The Studio: A Creative hub
Aesthetics, colours and textures are essential to Julie’s work. Both her studio and home workspace serve as creative playgrounds designed to nurture her creativity.
For the past six months, Julie has been working from her new studio in Aalborg – a space that has boosted her creativity and productivity. The studio gives her the freedom to create larger works. “I spend most of my time in the studio now. It’s an incredible space to be in. I can spread out and leave everything as it is without having to tidy up constantly. When I work on my knitting, I use multiple skeins of yarn, and it can quickly get quite messy. But that’s all part of the process, and here I can fully embrace it.”
In the studio, rugged brick walls and green ivy twisting through cracks and crevices, create a striking background that contrasts with Julie’s delicate artworks displayed throughout the space. Large windows fill the studio with
natural light, creating a comfortable and open atmosphere. Walls, floors and surfaces are decorated with colourful skeins of yarn, adding texture and softness to the industrial setting.
“The aesthetics of my workspace are crucial to my creative process. It’s what matters the most,” Julie explains.“
