Hanne Varming facts for kids

Hanne Varming (born Hanne Larsen) was a famous Danish artist who made sculptures. She was born on May 13, 1939, and passed away on October 30, 2022. She created many statues, including ones of famous people like the comedian Victor Borge. But most of her art showed everyday people or even her own children. You can see her work on Danish money! She designed the pictures of Queen Margrethe II on the 10 and 20 crown coins. One of her well-known sculptures in Copenhagen shows an old couple sitting on a bench. This artwork was inspired by a story called Hyldemoer (The Little Elder-Tree Mother) by Hans Christian Andersen.

Becoming a Sculptor

Hanne Varming grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father was Viggo Larsen and her mother was Inger Øllgaard. In 1962, she married another sculptor, Erik Varming. They had four children together: Johan Ludvig, Signe Marie, Karen Margrethe, and Hans Jacob. They later separated in 1986. In 1994, Hanne married Ove Højgaard Andersen.

She went to Tranegård School in Hellerup. Hanne had dyslexia, which made reading difficult for her. But she loved drawing and making figures out of plasticine from a very young age.

After school in 1955, her parents wanted her to develop her artistic skills. They sent her to work at the Royal Porcelain Factory. There, she quickly started making tiny flowers for the famous Flora Danica series. In 1957, an older co-worker found many plasticine figures in her drawer. These figures showed her colleagues and famous visitors. He encouraged her to take private art lessons with Knud Brønsted. These lessons helped her prepare for the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

The next year, she was accepted into the Academy. She studied under talented artists like Gottfred Eickhoff and Mogens Bøggild. She graduated in 1965. While at the Academy, she married Erik Varming, who was also a sculpture student. They lived in an old smithy in Tølløse near Holbæk and raised their four children there. Later, they lived on the island of Femø, then in Sorø, before building a home in Reerssø on the coast of Zealand.

Her Art and Sculptures

Hanne Varming's art always showed people. At first, she made sculptures of her own children. Later, she included older children, friends, and family in her works. Some of her sculptures show slender girls, while others show elderly couples.

One very famous sculpture is Piger fra Paris (Girls from Paris), made in 1999. You can see it at Copenhagen Airport. Hanne Varming also designed special coins. She created the commemorative coin for Crown Prince Frederik's 18th birthday. She also designed the new Danish coins showing Queen Margrethe in 1988–89.

Hanne Varming started showing her art at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in 1963. She later had her own exhibitions and showed her work with art groups like Kammeraterne Artists Cooperative and Galleri A Gruppen in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2014, her works were displayed at Kastrupgård to celebrate her 75th birthday.

Hanne Varming passed away on October 30, 2022.

Awards and Recognition

Hanne Varming received several important awards for her amazing work, including:

• 1985: Tagea Brandts Rejselegat
• 1988: Eckersberg Medal
• 1990: A lifelong grant from the Danish Arts Foundation
• 2000: Order of the Dannebrog

List of Public Artworks

Hanne Varming created many sculptures that can be seen in public places, monuments, and memorials across Denmark. Here are some of her well-known works:

• Mathias, Refsnæsskolen, Kystvejen, Kalundborg (1966)
• Kone i døren (Woman in the Door), Værløse Bymidte, Værløse (1973)
• Det lange menneske (The Tall Person), Mørkhøj Church, Mørkhøjvej, Herlevm Copenhagen (1975)
• Mor med børn (Mother with Children), Dagcenter, Halsskovvej, Korsør (1976)
• Hyldemor (Elder Mother), Kultorvet, Copenhagen (1980)
• Mor med to børn (Mother with Two Children), Servicecenter Tarm, Toften, Tarm (1980)
• Sigrid Undset med datteren (Sigrid Undset with Daughter), Sigrid Undset Skolen, Frederik Andersensvej, Kalundborg (1982)
• Sin og Lut, Finsensgade, Aarhus (1984)
• Karen Margrethe, Markedspladsen, Aulum (1988)
• Hans Jacob, Cathrinegården, Cathrinestræde, Hjørring (1988)
• Kone på kasse (Woman on a Box), Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen (1990)
• Oskar Hansen, Arbejdermuseet, Rømersgade, Copenhagen (1990)
• Torvekonen (The Market Woman), Kirketorvet, Ballerup (1991)
• Apollonia-brønden (Apollonia Well), Sct. Leonis Gade, Viborg (1994)
• To på en bænk (Two on a Bench), Trapholt, Æblehaven, Kolding (1995)
• Kraft og kærtegn (Strength and Affection). Church of Our Lady, Reberbanen, Skive (1996)
• Konen med æggene (The Woman with the Eggs), Kongensgade, Odense (1997)
• Skjernpigen (Nicole med stolen - Nicole with the Chair), Banktorvet, Skjern (1998)
• Pigerne fra Paris (Girls from Paris), Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, Copenhagen (1998)
• Konen med æggene (The Woman with the Eggs), Sophienholm, Nybrovej, Kongens Lyngby (2000)
• Konen med æggene (The Woman with the Eggs), Dybdalsparken, Dybdalsvej, Engesvang (2000)
• Emma på bænk (Emma on a Bench), Naturkirkegården, Anders Larsensvej, Holbæk (2004)
• Emma, M. D. Madsens Vej, Lillerød (2003)
• Mand og barn på bænk (Man and Child on a Bench), Møstings Hus, Smallegade, Frederiksberg (2007)
• Victor Borge, Victor Borges Plads, Østerbro, Copenhagen (2009)
• Konen med hundene (The Woman with the Dogs), Valby Langgade, Valby (2013)