Kristian Juul was born, lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. His colorful abstract action-paintings, often using urban signatures of spray and graffiti, has been exhibited in Denmark and sold to collectors all over the world.
Tell us your story, why did you become an artist?
It wasn’t so much of a choice. My passion for drawing and painting has always been with me. It all started by pure instinct in my early childhood, more or less same time I learned to speak – I just never stopped doing it! Looking back over my life I can now see, that my muscle memory of drawing gazillions of figures, circles and lines as a child ago still influence my current abstract style and approach to art!
When you create a new work, how do you go about it? What comes first?
Being very intuitive and action minded I don’t do a lot of planning. I used to in earlier periods, trying to apply all I’ve learnt from art classes on composition, color-schemes, etc. but I learned it killed my creativity. Now, I typically start with some automatic charcoal marks, add some random color and then go from there. I’ve learned the hard way not to force my will on the canvas., I just go wherever the painting wants to go – which really means I trust my gut feeling more than my intellect. 
What can you tell us about your studio, what makes it special to you and how does it influence the way you work?
For the last 3 years I’ve only worked in my outdoor studio – which is built like a carport times 3 - there’s a roof to protect against rain and snow, but open walls, so free air all the time. I usually don’t mind winter cold – Icelandic sweaters keep me warm! Being in the nature and access to natural daylight while painting makes all the difference to me. Also, I can be as wild as I like!
Is there a work of art in your life that has especially impressed you?
Not just because he’s a compatriot but Asger Jorns uncompromising attitude to his art always impressed me – like his masterpiece “Stalingrad” (now the crown jewel at the Danish National Gallery) - he at a time sold if off but wasn’t satisfied so after some years he bought it back and resumed painting on it!
Reach to the stars: where will you be in 5 years?
My tagline is “unbecoming who I’m not” – that’s a life ambition, that I know I’ll never reach – but in 5 years I hope I’ll be even more true to my authentic self, even more brave and daring in my art, never satisfied with repeating myself.
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