From his home in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Hobro-born Danish professional rider and horse trainer and abstract painter KENNETH VINTHER reflects on moving to California via Germany in his 20s, and on his career competing with and educating show jumping horses. He highlights his best horse, a Holsteiner named Colicchio, once the best in class on the US west coast, and the difference of riding between Denmark and the US — the former as an everyday sport, the latter as an elite one.

Kenneth selects a work by Asger Jorn from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS9104

(Photographer: Zac Taylor)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on April 11, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his home in Silkeborg, Aalborg-born Danish whisky maker and co-founder of Stauning Whisky ALEX HØJRUP MUNCH talks about the award-winning New World premium rye whisky. He shares the joy of introducing Stauning to Americans, and reflects on the challenges breaking into the US market, and the effects of evolving tariff policies. On the business that began with nine founders on the Danish west coast focusing on rye, a Danish grain, Alex discusses working with friends and staying local.

Alex selects the building of the National Gallery of Denmark.

https://www.smk.dk/en/section/about-smk/?modal=9

(Photographer: Katrine Brønd)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on April 23, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

​From her home in London, Funen-born, Danish screenwriter LINE LANGEBEK talks about her widely celebrated Oscar-nominated film The Girl with the Needle (2025), a historical psychological horror film based on the true story of Danish serial killer Dagmar Overbye. Line talks about Raising Films, a UK-based organization she helped create that advocates for parents and carers in the screen sector, and her commitment to telling more universal stories in these turbulent and interesting times.

Line selects a work by Harald Giersing from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS3653

(Photographer: Tara Violet Niami)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on March 13, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his home in Thousand Oaks, California, Nivå-born Danish craft brewer JEPPE JARNIT-BJERGSØ recalls his start as a schoolteacher to kids with special needs and as a beer expert, brewer, and entrepreneur. He talks about his 2012 move to New York with his wife and young children that resulted in years of explosive growth, of his company Evil Twin Brewing, and a Michelin Starred restaurant. And he shares his latest adventure, Jarnit Family Wines, in Los Olivos north of Los Angeles.

Jeppe selects a work by Asger Jorn from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/DEP595

(Photographer: Tommy Frost)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on April 11, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

On a visit to Los Angeles to meet with Twentieth Gallery about her new creations, Bonderup-born, London-trained, New York-based Danish designer CAMILLA STÆRK speaks about her brand, STÆRK, deeply rooted in her Danish heritage and shaped by a fascination with Old Hollywood and film noir, and spanning fashion, furniture, lighting, rugs, and accessories. She also reflects on her creative partnership, Stærk & Christensen, which extends her storytelling into new collaborative dimensions.

Camilla selects a work by Anne Marie Carl Nielsen from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMShm21

(Photographer: Karen Collins)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on March 24, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his apartment in Greenwich Village, New York, Odense-born Danish creative marketer KRISTIAN THOMASSEN recalls leaving home immediately after high school, and experiencing a deep feeling of belonging in New York City. Kristian pays homage to his mentor in his new city, a fellow Dane, or two, and describes his fast-paced work developing campaigns for brands to reach a young demographic with a Gen Z mindset. Lastly, Kristian shares why he is a fan of Pippi Longstocking.

Kristian selects a work by Michelangelo Buonarroti from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KAS2382

(Private Photograph)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on May 1, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From his Michelin-Starred restaurant Elske he co-owns with his wife Anna Posey in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, California-born Danish-American chef and restaurateur DAVID POSEY talks about his path in American fine dining that's always incorporated a Danish or Scandinavian profile. He reflects on his and his restaurant's recent roles on the popular tv series The Bear, the joy of experiencing the world through food, and the demands of running an award-winning restaurant.

David selects a work by Georges Braque from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMSr7

(Photographer: Huge Galdones)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on March 27, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

​From her home in Bel-Air, London-born British-Danish interior designer and stylist KRISTINA HASLUND talks about her namesake Studio Haslund that blends Danish modernist style with Los Angeles' indoor-outdoor living. She retraces her roots with her Danish mother, her first career in the music industry, and how mid-century design and architecture are top reasons she calls LA home. And she explains why she has fallen in love with Palm Springs, the desert oasis just two hours east of LA.

Kristina selects a work by Harald Giersing from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMS3871

(Photographer: Adam Sheridan-Taylor)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on April 30, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

From Dumbo, Brooklyn, Frederiksberg-born, Vejle-raised, Copenhagen- and New York-based Danish pianist and composer NIKOLAJ HESS gets ready for his upcoming concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Nikolaj talks about how he translates visual art to music in his project Transformative Reflections, film scoring, and his many jazz adventures, highlighting New York as a jazz capital. And he talks about improvisation, and making music with his brothers Mikkel and Emil.

Nikolaj talks about the Matisse: The Red Studio exhibition at SMK.

https://www.smk.dk/en/exhibition/henri-matisse-the-red-studio/

(Photographer: Jill Greenberg)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on April 8, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst

​From her home in Nørrebro in Copenhagen, Haderslev-born Danish-English multidisciplinary artist ​BIRGITTE MOOS CHALCRAFT talks about her time in Los Angeles at the start of the booming art scene in the Arts District of Downtown LA. There she was inspired by her fellow artists and the land and street art movements. Birgitte talks about her focus on the intersection of psychology and art, her interest in quantum physics, and her new project creating an age 50+ female artist group.

Birgitte selects a work by Lena Adler Petersen and Bjørn Nørgaard from the SMK collection.

https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KKS1979-152

(Photographer: Helle Moos)

This conversation with Tina Jøhnk Christensen occurred on March 8, 2025.

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We invite you to subscribe to Danish Originals for weekly episodes. You can also find us at:

website: https://danishoriginals.com/

email: [email protected]

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And we invite you to donate to the American Friends of Statens Museum for Kunst and become a patron: https://donorbox.org/american-friends-of-statens-museum-for-kunst