TEJN (born 1976) is a pseudonymous Danish artist, who began his artistic work as a street artist in 2007 and occasionally exhibits contemporary art in galleries.
TEJNs gallery sculptures typically demands a more extended effort to interpret, than his street art sculptures, which he often gives a layer of a more digestible nature, allowing it to communicate with an audience passing by on foot or bike.
The highly symbolic works typically debate philosophy, politics or existentialism, suggesting a form of self-appraisal among the audience.
Based in Copenhagen, TEJN's street art has made its mark on most bigger European cities. He is best known by his trademark: "Lock Ons" which are site-specific sculptures or statues, typically welded in recycled iron and chained in the street without permission, often mounted to urban furniture with a bicycle lock. His second most preferred media is paintings on paper, pasted up with wheatpaste on a wall. TEJN also makes installations, stencil-art, and conceptual art.
Technique
TEJN finds metal scrap for his sculptures in urban areas and uses some of it in its original form. The rest is shaped and welded into figurative objects that express a narrative deadopen for interpretation.
The iron is later "given back to the street" as street sculptures, in the same areas where he originally collected the material.
2007
TEJN places an unknown number of hidden time capsules in different Danish cities, containing original works commenting on the way we look at future, past and present. The time capsules were signed, sealed and buried or integrated in public areas or buildings without permission.
Wheat pasted drawings appears in the streets, accompanied by messages playing with the Danish language, transforming and illustrating song titles and old sayings, such as "Time Heals all Wounds" transformed into "Time Stores all Wounds", etc.
2008
TEJN commented on growing racism by releasing numerous of different "ethnic" pair shaped characters in the streets of Copenhagen, all wearing a stenciled message saying "Pære Dansk" ("danish as a pear"), presumably as a response to Danish right wing politicians who claimed that it requires certain lifestyles to be "pear-danish".
First large roof top paste up
2009
One of Those Noah Didn't Get on the Boat – a wheat paste series of various non-existing animals "that Noah didn't manage to save", appears in Copenhagen and in small towns in the Christian west coast of Jutland
Street sculptures appear in seaports showing variations of the same theme, such as a woman sitting on a whaling cannon loaded with an anchor
2010
"Project Re-Cycle" – Stolen, broken bikes were collected from corners, junk piles and train stations, roughly fixed and then placed in front of schools in troubled areas, homeless accommodations and a refugee camp, with a note saying "Free Bike". The project was criticized as it contained "too many" none legal issues.
2011
Vultures Always Wins the War – Installation containing a wall showcasing spray-painted attacking bombers throwing exploding peace signs, undisturbed by a large iron vulture on top of the wall, observing the process.
2012
The Ego Coin Project – Conceptual work that questioned egocentric consumption of goods. The artist issued approximately €500 worth of modified valid coins earmarked for non-profitable purposes. The coins were engraved with the word EGO and then given away. The coins are supposed to be used to benefit new recipients other than the current owner.
In a small city forest threatened by urban planners, a 200-pound revolver welded in iron was chained to one of the trees, carrying the stencil text: “My Ancestors Went Hunting in These Woods”.
2013
Omnivorous (street sculpture) – Goat with its head stuck in a McDonald's bag, chained in front of the Danish government building.
Victory (street sculpture) – Character freeing itself by cutting its chain with a bolt cutter – placed in front of Frihedsmuseet, the Museum of Danish Resistance during WW2
2014
Captain Queer (street sculpture) Proud looking sailor with rainbow shoulder sleeve insignia and anchor on the chest is chained in Copenhagen's new square, "The Rainbow Square", as a tribute to diversity and the achievements the LGBT movement have reached so far.
