Interview with writer Niklas Press

Writer Niklas Press against a wall with large graffiti of a woman's face in Vesterbro

"I hated growing up. I probably also hated school because I hated things. But I think it was all me. I was miserable, and the misery was in me. And because that was strange, I was looking for external, rational explanations, as in “Hey, I am not Danish, I am American”. I can kind of pin everything on that. I didn’t feel at home on planet Earth, and so I didn’t like school. I was good at it but I didn’t like it. I didn’t like anything!"

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Interview with illustrator Florentina Surel

Copenhagen-based Romanian illustrator Florentina Surel with hat in hand at Sydhavnstippen

"I grew up in an environment where people did things in order to show off, more than making themselves happy first. We even have a joke that goes something like "you buy a BMW car, but you're asking your parents for gas money". It's something I always ran away from, at least I hope I did a good job at it, so I never identified with that part of the culture. I was relieved to leave it behind and not see this bubble happen everyday in front of my eyes. I don't know if I'll ever feel at home anywhere, with anybody or any possesions, if I ever become as good as I picture I should be -- that's to be discovered -- but I choose to define this feeling of restlessness as my home."

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Interview with designer Jonna Saarinen

Textile designer Jonna Saarinen's photo from private album

"Wallpaper makes me laugh! As a concept, it’s a very bizarre idea to put heavy patterns on a wall. Some people find it claustrophobic, even. But for me, it makes me laugh so if you can, why not? When we bought the house where we live in London, it was derelict. It was wallpapered in all these 60’s wallpapers but they were falling off the walls and stuff… And I thought it gave the house a really nice feel so I replaced all the [old] wallpapers with Finnish and Swedish wallpapers from the 40’s to the 60’s. And all of them are ones that make me laugh. They are just so bonkers! [laughing] And that’s the kind of design I like — colorful and that makes me laugh."

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