Buying original art online comes down to knowing what you are actually getting. This is a short guide to the difference between an original and a print, what to check before you order, and how to buy handmade Danish wall art directly from the artist who made it.
Three original reliefs in paper pulp and cardboard — see the latest work
Key Takeaways
- An original is a single physical artwork. A print is a reproduction of one — both are legitimate, but the price should reflect which you are buying.
- Look for a signature, a stated size, and a named material. Vague listings usually mean mass production.
- Buying directly from the artist means there is a person you can ask before you commit.
- If you buy inside the EU, you have 14 days to change your mind.
Original or print — what you are buying
An original exists once. Someone cut it, shaped it, painted it, and when it sells, it is gone. A print is a photographic reproduction of an original, produced on demand in whatever size you choose.
Neither is better. They answer different questions. A print lets you live with an image for a few hundred kroner. An original gives you the actual object — the cut edges, the raised surface, the places where paint sat thick. The problem is only when a shop blurs the two. If a listing does not say plainly which it is, assume print.
Red Relief — hand-cut relief, framed in pine and oak, signed 1/1
What to check before you order
Four things separate a real listing from a drop-shipped one:
- A named material. “Mixed media” tells you nothing. “Recycled cardboard, linoleum paint, oak frame” tells you what will hang on your wall.
- An exact size. Including depth, if the work sits in relief. A piece that stands 3 cm off the wall reads very differently from a flat one.
- A signature. Originals should be signed, normally on the back, and often numbered 1/1.
- A person behind it. If you cannot find who made the work, you are probably not buying from them.
Buying directly from the artist
When you buy direct, the person packing your parcel is the person who made the work. Nothing passes through a chain of resellers on the way to you.
It also means you can ask. What is underneath the paint, how it should be dusted, whether it will fit the wall you have in mind — these get answered by email rather than by a form.
Paper pulp originals — hand-formed wall masks and reliefs
Danish wall art, made by hand
My work is made in Denmark from recycled cardboard and paper pulp. The cardboard reliefs are cut in layers with a scalpel and painted with linoleum paint and Faber-Castell pencils. The paper pulp pieces are formed by hand from paper or cardboard soaked and bound with a flour-and-water paste. Both dry into surfaces that hold light unevenly, which is the point.
Every original is signed and exists once. The prints are made from the cardboard originals only, in several sizes, and ship unframed so you can choose your own frame.
Art prints of the originals — several sizes, shipped unframed
Ordering and returns
Everything ships from Denmark, wrapped by hand. If you live in the EU or EEA you have a 14-day right of withdrawal on both originals and prints, and EU buyers have a two-year right to complain about faults. Damaged or incorrect items are covered worldwide. The full terms are on the shipping and returns page.
Where to start
Three ways in, depending on what you are after:
- Cardboard originals — geometric reliefs, framed and ready to hang.
- Paper pulp originals — sculptural wall masks and reliefs, the lowest entry point into owning an original.
- Art prints — the same work at print prices, in the size that fits your wall.