Agility and defiance

In a conversation as kinetic and fearless as her art, Mie Olise Kjærgaard redefines what it means to be agile. Challenging the age-old prescriptions of passivity, she reveals how movement – both literal and metaphorical – becomes a form of resistance and renewal. Through dynamic structures and disruptive narratives, her work embodies the power of collaboration, defiance, and the relentless pursuit of creative freedom. Her recent collab with Chloé sees her bold vision come alive at the Paris boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré, where her raw energy meets Chloé’s cool style, offering a fresh take on modern femininity.

hube: Your exhibition, Agile Aggressions, explores the intersection of architecture, movement, and female resilience. How does the concept of ‘agility’ manifest in your work, both in the physical structures you depict and in the broader narrative of female presence in historically male-dominated spaces?

Mie Olise Kjærgaard: Agility contradicts the well-behaved, controlled passiveness traditionally urged onto women and girls throughout history. It is a way to let loose and break free in a capable way – to steer and navigate dynamically. It is both balancing and being out of control without landing in a new static situation. For me, agility is ideal because it also means that you are strong and can pull back if the mast of the ship goes horizontal. In choosing the title of the exhibition, I also felt that Agile Aggressions was somewhat a justified anger.

h: Your recent series, Disobedient Muses, draws inspiration from the 1970s French feminist artist group Les Insoumuses. How did uncovering their legacy influence your portrayal of women in this body of work, and in what ways do you see your art as a continuation of their rebellious spirit? 

MOK: I believe that when the oppressed want to change their situation, teaming up is the best way. All revolutions have followed that pattern – the many oppressed team up and go against the fewer, more powerful ones. MeToo only happened because women could finally unite globally behind a hashtag, and as for women in art, acknowledging each other and the people who fought and paved the way is essential for me. Lately, this has become much more relevant than I ever imagined, and standing up is becoming life-essential again.

Les Insoumuses had great bite but also teamed up powerfully while playing on humor, wit, and bite. I love that, and I feel that they, as a group, are highly inspirational in that sense.

h: In your Hysteria series, you depict women engaging in activities historically deemed inappropriate, such as playing tennis or riding bicycles. How do these portrayals challenge traditional notions of femininity, and what reactions have you observed from audiences encountering these empowered figures? 

MOK: It is strange today to think about how sports, biking, and having fun could have been the first steps toward female liberation – but they played a huge role. Biking was one of the first ways women could get around on their own without being chaperoned. Women started biking (and horseback riding) wearing trousers, and in sports, they got to laugh hard and loosen up. I think of these situations as a great way to pinpoint something quite important but in a way that can play out on the canvas as being stretched far and quite hilarious. I like when the work can point in many directions on different layers, also because it keeps the work alive and won’t strand in a single perception.

I think a lot of people see themselves in the situations happening in the work and ask me about tennis or skateboarding because many of the scenarios are, in some ways, quite normal. When mixed in new ways, they expand possibilities, and people often engage, wondering about the scenes.

h: Your solo exhibition at The Journal Gallery in New York showcased works like Old Habits and Badminton Shark, where women are depicted in dynamic, unconventional scenarios. Can you discuss the symbolism behind these scenes and how they reflect your views on contemporary womanhood? 

MOK: As a painter, you can create anything, make things up, and lie – even gravity doesn’t exist. I find it funny and interesting to play with situations that could never happen in real life but are still relevant in our visual vocabulary as understandable signifiers. I think badminton and tennis are fun activities to pair with fierce animals and mothers on the run. These are all elements that I know very well and that any kid would recognise. When paired together, an absurdity occurs that I enjoy a lot and that has the power to broaden the spectrum of, for example, women’s capabilities. I want to play to expand the possible territories of what is expected and allowed.

h: The Holding Space series features young women transitioning between fantastical and mundane settings, asserting their agency beyond traditional gender roles. How do these narratives reflect your journey as a female artist navigating the art world? 

MOK: I am getting to the point in my life where I finally speak from lived experience. I have found myself in many unfortunate and provocative situations, and my anger and responses are not just theoretical perspectives. Growing up on a small island, far from museums, academia, and critical perspectives, while wanting to paint and work as an artist has been challenging. As a female artist, I have had to stand up against a lot of old ideas – not only in the art world but also in real life.

In that way, the Holding Space series, which explored the female gaze and the viewpoint of female characters as subjects of their own lives rather than objects of male desire and gaze, was a way for me to reestablish the situations I lived through. Finally, in my studio, I put things straight.

h: Your practice is deeply rooted in feminist art theory, aiming to subvert and move beyond the male gaze. How do you balance this theoretical framework with the aesthetic elements of your paintings to ensure the message resonates without overshadowing the visual experience?

MOK: I think it overshadows the conversations because it is easier to talk about in words – painting itself, how to make a painting work. There are a lot of visual and tactile elements, bodily moments in a painting that are more difficult to put into words. Yet, I believe it is key to try to pinpoint the sensation that I feel is the painting’s potential.

I think that if a painting does not hit me in the solar plexus, it fails. I can easily experience a painting and feel this big sensation without even engaging my critical brain or trying to make sense of it. The other way around, not so much.

But often, we end up talking about the subject matter because it is interesting to discuss in words. Yet painting is visual, and I think what is important when talking about visual art, and painting especially, is to take the time to be present with the work – to breathe, see, and make contact.

h: In your transition from architectural installations to painting, how has your understanding of space and structure influenced the composition and depth of your canvases? Do you see your paintings as extensions of your earlier three-dimensional works? 

MOK: I think that everything is a construction, and I love it when the construction is kind of balancing – not just static, but wobbly. I’ve noticed that both the structures I painted earlier and the characters I paint now are always in a state of balance. Maybe they fall, maybe they stay upright. I am mostly interested in that moment when it’s up in the air – whether they will drop down or not. I also enjoy the awkwardness of facial tics and moments of uncertainty, where things can go in different directions.

h: Your works often feature large brush strokes, drips, and layers, conveying a sense of immediacy and rawness. How does this technique relate to the themes of freedom and defiance present in your subject matter?

MOK: I have always worked in aggressive strokes – even when I was 15 and started painting. I believe some of the movements and choices a painter makes are part of their personality, while others are for fun or experimentation. In my case, I think the women I paint, the way I paint them, the aggressiveness of the strokes, and the sense of immediacy they convey all have a lot to do with my being. The fact that I choose not to cover up or work everything through until it’s indisputably well done and pretty is a freedom I allow myself. It’s a freedom I treasure and something I also enjoy so much in other artists’ paintings. One of the things I admire the most is bravery – the bravery of the hand, the courage to be who you are and stand tall in that.

h: Your exploration of feminist themes has evolved over the years. Looking ahead, are there new narratives or historical figures you wish to explore in your future projects? How do you envision your work continuing to challenge and redefine perceptions of femininity?

MOK: I believe that feminism is equality for all, not just women. And for me, maybe it is time to bring in other perspectives as well. My son is growing older, and it feels relevant to broaden my view a bit. All the women on bikes and fierce animals have been kind of self-portraits of women/mothers balancing. Now, sometimes I am in tow, or maybe somebody else takes over a bit while I take a nap.

I also work with bronze and clay, and in some pieces, I play with dissolving the figuration toward a sense of abstraction. I feel like, over the last few years, I have established a language that I can now start to play with in many different ways.

h: Given the current global discourse on gender equality and women’s rights, how do you see your art contributing to these conversations? Do you believe art has the power to enact social change, and if so, how do you position your work within this activist framework?

MOK: I think we are at a point where whatever you want to contribute, in that sense, is very welcome. Do what you can. I hope to reach women and people who stand in front of my work, reminding them how it feels to be badass – good at something they truly master. Riding a bike, riding a horse, hitting the ball or the right tune. That feeling inside – like a local world champion. And I know everyone knows that feeling from their own lives – maybe they brag, maybe they feel it silently, maybe it’s been a long time.

That is where I go in my mind to find my strength, and from there, I go out to try to do my part in the world. In that way, I hope it might work for others, too.