Meet Jan Klein

I grew up in Vesterbro in an old working district. I was born dyslexic, and therefore the school was not easy for me. Painting quickly became a big hobby of mine. In the 60s, I became a hippie like many others, and it also meant using psychedelics. Unfortunately, this became an addiction, which among other things meant that I could not continue at the Royal Art Academy where I had been accepted.

I was very fortunate to find great support in a local church and managed to get out of my abuse. I decided that I would return the favor and give help to others in a similar situation. This is why I together with my wife Nille started a rehabilitation center in Slagelse. A rehabilitation center I ran for 25 years. A center that still helps people find their way out of abuse.

Jan Klein never stopped painting, but he has only been able to support himself as an artist in the past ten years. His works are a fine mixture of street art and pop art inspired by New York, movies, and music. The scenes are created by using clippings, stickers, old photographs, posters, paint, and drawing ink.

His work has been exhibited numerous times at Danish galleries. He also sells his art in countries such as Sweden, Germany and the United States. Jan Klein has an upcoming exhibition in New York where he has exhibited his work several times before and where there is great interest in his work.

Today Jan lives in a place called the frøsilo on Islands Brygge with his wife Nille – close to his studio at STAY.

For a box of “original” coke, we got Jan Klein to decorate some BackYard sneakers. Imagine the luck…

Follow the work of Jan Klein here at www.instagram.com/artbyklein