PRACTISING DIVERSITY
As part of the series DIVERSITY COMMONS, UKK is pleased to invite you to the discursive public event PRACTISING DIVERSITY: A conversation on transformative DEIB approaches in art academy environments hosted by UKK’s Diversity Working Group and Funen Art Academy. The event will feature Lawrence Ebelle (UKK chair) and visual artist and alumna Henriette Hellstern. Together with the audience, they will explore institutional change, community & belonging, creative expression, accessibility & ressources as well as representation & voice.
Following the conversation, we warmly invite the audience to stay, socialize, continue the exchange, and join both guest and host for a collective meal.
When: Friday, November 21, 2025
Time: 4:30–6:00 pm
Where: Funen Art Academy, Foredragssalen
This project is kindly supported by Bikubenfonden
Disclaimer: if anyone has questions regarding accessibility , please e-mail us at info@detfynskekunstakademi.dk or chair@ukk.community, and we will arrange reasonable accommodations to meet your needs.
Bios
Lawrence Ebelle (FR/US) (she/her) is a curator, art organizer, and architect based in Copenhagen. Her visual cultural practice encompasses different social-political and spatial questions across exhibition contexts and the built environment. She is a board member of Building Diversity, The Danish Association of Architects, and chair of UKK, where she leads UKK’s Diversity Working Group and is a co-founder of the organization’s new Art & Economy Working Group.
Henriette Hellstern (DK) (She/her) – a graduate of Funen Art Academy – is an internationally recognized visual artist, curator, and advisor whose work sits at the intersection of identity, climate, and emotional storytelling. Drawing on her lifelong engagement with Painting & Performance, Expressionism, Action Painting, and Buddhist philosophy, Hellstern explores how art can shape more inclusive futures.
Her practice is fueled by a desire to create the visibility and belonging she lacked growing up as a queer person. Through both her art and leadership, she builds spaces where difference is celebrated and every voice is valued.