My life’s work has a purpose that goes far beyond creating beautiful artworks. My is goal  to bring Arabic calligraphy back to basics, to honor its origins and keep it true to its essence while applying a contemporary lens to it.

For our first-ever video post, we present an exclusive interview with Danish painter Bente Christensen-Ernst on Lebanon's Mustaqbal TV in 2011 to coincide with her first exhibition in Lebanon. Subtitled by marsoum co (2018)

When looking at the art of Bente Christensen-Ernst one is not left in doubt. Although being a Danish citizen, her realism is the southern type. She is an "Easternised" Scandinavian. And this is meant as a compliment.

One glance and we’ve passed the threshold into a mimetic world. A style inflated with recognisability. At first glance. But looking past the diagnostic into a deeper philosophy on the surface, and, without wanting to paraphrase Alice, a Wonderland opens up before us. A parallel universe stamped with its own “form-sense”, underpinned by a four hundred year old Western tradition of nature morte, where we think we are looking at reality but we are not.