Louise Olsen
For Louise Olsen, art is exploration: playful, curious, and ever-evolving. As co-founder and creative director at Dinosaur Designs, she shares reflections from the journey so far—and the advice she'd pass on to her younger self.
Photos JAKE TERREY & DUNCAN KILLICK
Chestnut—the latest collection by Dinosaur Designs, echoes the chestnut’s rich earthy tones, featuring syrupy swirls of cream and brown. Photo: Jake Terrey
‘There’s a purity and understanding of the world that we can sometimes lose as we get older,’ says Louise Olsen. Photo: Duncan Killick
“I love the art world, to be an artist is to be an explorer. To play, experiment and study—to go to all depths to find the inside and truth of the subject.”
Floating In Summer by Louise Olsen. Photo: Jake Terrey
Chestnut—the latest collection by Dinosaur Designs. Photo: Jake Terrey
Hello Louise—as a creative, what’s the one thing that you’d most want to tell your younger self about the journey?
Louise: Always have a good overview. Don’t get blocked on the small stuff, and don’t worry too much about what people think—follow your heart and vision.
Our younger years are the building blocks for our future… what’s been the most positive and precious ‘block’ from your childhood that’s shaped your adult life?
I grew up in a very creative family, both my parents being artists. My parents were very supportive of my creative abilities—at school my strength was creative subjects. I was terrible at mathematics and other studies, which I feel made me lack confidence. Going to art school, I really felt my confidence become restored and help me build the art and design life that I live today.
What’s a significant childhood memory you find yourself going back to?
Watching my parents in their studios painting was so inspiring—there was always a feeling of endless possibilities. They were constantly exploring.
Do you believe in the value of tapping into a childlike innocence when designing?
Yes. Not so much with my design work, but with my painting. I believe children don’t have a preconceived eye they have a natural, innocence and feeling eye when looking at subject of a bird or a flower. There’s a purity and understanding of the world that we can sometimes lose as we get older. I love the art world, to be an artist is to be an explorer. To play, experiment, study—to go to all depths to find the inside and truth of the subject.
Has there been a creative idea that you thought was too wild on the Dinosaur Designs journey that came to fruition in the end?
Creating large scale sculptural pieces for exhibitions we’ve done over the years is always wild and challenging. There’s something that’s so wonderful when you scale up a piece that reframes the way we see an object.
What do you think your younger self be most proud of?
That Dinosaur Designs is all over the world, and sold in the most beautiful stores around the world. Our stores in London and New York. Museums and galleries that I’ve been able to show my work in—and all the wonderful people that I’ve met on my creative journey.
See more from Louise Olsen & Dinosaur Designs.