In Search of the Imperfect
Born and raised in Oslo, Edda Gimnes has recently been helping her parents clear out the attic. For most families, attic clearances are a major undertaking. For parents of four creative daughters who saved almost everything their children ever made, it is an even bigger one.
“You should see our mantelpiece at Christmas. There must be a hundred little Father Christmas figures made by me and my sisters. I don’t think Mum and Dad have thrown anything away. Growing up, our fridge was covered in signed and dated drawings,” Gimnes recalls.
At the heart of the family home was a large drawing and painting table in the middle of the living room. All the materials were ready and waiting, making it easy to sit down and start creating the moment the sisters came home from school. Creative parents, combined with having their grandmother living with them, gave the four girls the freedom to explore.
“When we got home, Gran would have baked buns and bread. She might be sitting in a chair darning socks, and it felt completely natural to settle down at the table in the living room. Anything was allowed there. Paints, crayons, fabric scraps and brushes were always waiting for us,” says Gimnes.
The School Stationery Lending Service
Edda considers herself the least talented at drawing of the four sisters. Perhaps that is why, as a child, she was often more interested in the equipment than in the drawing itself.
“I had two pencil cases, those big double ones that unzip all the way around. I was especially obsessed with rubbers. I had loads of them, in different shapes and even scented ones. I also had really nice colouring pencils, all labelled with my name because I basically ran a stationery lending service throughout primary school. I carried a very large backpack,” she says, laughing.
At home, the message was simple: follow your dreams, and if you have done your best, that is enough. It is a philosophy Edda has carried into her professional life.
“As a child, I wanted everything I drew to be neat, beautiful and correct. It wasn’t until I started at London College of Fashion that I found my own visual language. There were so many students who were incredibly skilled at drawing, and I realised I was never going to draw like they did. That was when I started drawing with my non-dominant hand and found my own line, what would eventually become the DNA of EDDA,” says Gimnes.
Gran’s Imperfect Wardrobe
For Edda, drawing has always been something that brings a sense of calm. It is a creative language and the starting point of every project. The quick sketches at the beginning of a process remain her favourite part. She has long since abandoned her childhood pursuit of perfect drawings and embraced a more playful, naive approach. Technical skills such as sewing and construction should never get in the way of creativity.
“All the things I thought were my weaknesses at school have become my strengths. In my workshop at MUNCH, I’m definitely challenging the child I used to be. It’s going to be lively, playful, naive and imperfect,” says Gimnes.
In Gran’s Wardrobe, everyone is welcome and everyone can draw. The goal is simply to have fun.
“The children will draw on a large scale. They’ll draw with their eyes closed, with the wrong hand, quickly, and preferably imperfectly. The idea is that their contributions will stay in the workshop, allowing the wardrobe to keep growing and growing. I hope that knowing they won’t be taking home a finished product to show off will encourage them to let go and enjoy the process,” says Gimnes.
She hopes the workshop will offer children the same sense of calm that creative work gives her.
“I think drawing is important for children because it’s tactile. Doing something with your hands is good for both imagination and mental wellbeing. Creating something is incredibly valuable, whether you’re a child or an adult.”
Neon Triangle Bikinis
Edda has been making things for as long as she can remember. Much like her parents, she struggles to throw away drawings, fabric scraps and sketches. Instead, she archives everything, keeping materials so they can be reused and given new life. A bit like Gran’s wardrobe, or an attic clear-out that turns into a treasure hunt.
And the attic clear-out paid off. Edda rediscovered her earliest drawing memory.
“It was such a joy to see that drawing again. I must have been five or six. The moment I saw it, I remembered exactly what it felt like to make it. Mum was drawn with a deep tan, wearing a triangle bikini, surrounded by palm trees, a beach and lots of bright, vivid colours. It almost felt like meeting the very first version of myself as a draughtsperson,” says Gimnes.
About Edda Gimnes:
Edda Gimnes works across illustration, textiles, fashion and installation, with drawing and pattern-making at the core of her practice. Her hand-drawn visual language moves fluidly between fine art, design and performative presentation. Through a distinctive and playful aesthetic, her work explores transformation, identity and visual storytelling. Gimnes has presented work at venues including the National Museum of Norway, NITJA Centre for Contemporary Art, the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
