Wearing the Drawing

Show more

The Process

Ever since she was a child, the physical act of making has been important to Ingeborg. She is drawn to that particular state where hours pass unnoticed and thoughts seem to float away.

“I’m always exploring how I can bring that physical experience into the gallery space, how nature can enter the work, and how the audience can become part of my creative process.”

Drawing performances make up a significant part of Andersskog’s practice. A project might involve drawing for four hours straight, every day, for an entire month. Typically, she begins with three or four simple rules and then relies on little more than patience and endurance.

“I push myself because I think it’s good for me. It can be physically demanding, but mentally it’s very calming. I started working with drawing performances because, for me, the process has always been just as important as the final outcome, perhaps even more important. I wanted to invite the audience into that process, and I wanted to invite my own body into the drawing,” says Andersskog.

When she draws, the movement of her body becomes part of the artwork. The audience watches the drawing emerge while also following her process, and the artwork only truly exists for the duration of the performance.

Drawing for Everyone

With a mother who taught arts and crafts and regularly ran workshops, Ingeborg grew up surrounded by creative materials. There was wool, fabric, pens and paper in abundance. That love of materials has remained central to her practice.

“There’s something wonderful about the tactile encounter with materials. Touching things with your hands, taking your time and enjoying the process. Knowing that the end result isn’t what matters most, but that you’re immersed in a good process,” says Andersskog.

It is also what she values most about drawing: its accessibility.

“Drawing is accessible, and because of that it can feel less intimidating. When you sit down to draw, it doesn’t necessarily have to lead to anything.”

Now she is inviting children and young people into the kind of workshop she dreamed of attending herself, one that gently pushes at the boundaries of what is normally allowed.

“You don’t often get the chance to wear a sheet of paper and work on such a large scale. It reminds me a little of primary school, when my best friend and I thought it was great fun to paint each other’s faces, even though we were never allowed to. That’s what I love about this workshop: here, anything goes. In fact, it’s designed that way. I think that’s brilliant!”