Naja Abelsen

Naja Abelsen
Born	(1964-04-19) April 19, 1964 Brønderslev, Denmark
Occupation(s)	Painter, illustrator
Known for	Paintings and illustrations inspired by Greenlandic legends and folklore; postage stamp designs for Post Greenland

Naja Abelsen (born 1964) is a painter and illustrator of Danish-Greenlandic heritage whose creations are deeply inspired by Greenlandic legends and folklore. In addition to illustrating books, she has produced 18 stamp designs for Post Greenland.

Biography

Naja Abelsen was born on 19 April 1964 in Brønderslev. She is the daughter of Adolf Konrad Boas Henrik Abelsen, a Greenlandic educator, and Kirsten Fokdal, a Danish care home administrator. Having lived for nine years in Qaqortoq, Greenland, she was immersed in both Danish and Greenlandic cultural environments. Her formal training comprises studies at Kunsthøjskolen i Holbæk, two years at Copenhagen’s Billedskolen (1987–89), followed by six years at the Danish Design School (1990–96).

Her artistic output frequently portrays Greenland's inhabitants and fauna, which is reflected in her illustrations for books, as well as her logo and postage stamp creations.

Since 2001, Abelsen has resided on the island of Ærø. In March 2017, she inaugurated a gallery located in Vestergade, Ærøskøbing, where a broad selection of her artworks is exhibited.

Selected illustrated books

• Erich Kästner, Das doppelte Lottchen (2008)
• Gry Kappel Jensen, Slædehundenes suk (2010)
• Beverley Naidoo, Chain of Fire (1999)
• H.C. Petersen, Den fiffige ravn - og andre beretninger om det levende i mit land (2001)
• Knud Rasmussen, Myter og Sagn fra Grønland (2000)
• Knud Rasmussen, Myter og Sagn fra Grønland: Anden samling (2016)
• Birgit Stephensen, Aura og farver (1989)

External links

• Official website of Naja Abelsen