Slightly Quieter Swan by Teddy Hansen

Mixed media on canvas. 
2024 

This painting is part of FATHERLAND, an exhibition by Teddy Hansen.

Maybe Danish people are happy because their national animal is the mute swan?

Having spent a lot of time in Denmark I found Danes live a far more quiet calm life than other countries, so having a quieter version of your normal sawn as the national animal seems very fitting. 


The painting shows a mute swan, eating a bull rush. Maybe eating bullrushes is how they became ‘mute’, almost like a trumpet mute. On the swans back is a piano with keys made of eggs, which would obviously mean no sound would come out. The musician is playing the egg keys, which are hatching birds as flying into the air.

The swan is surrounded by sounds. An egg is being hatched and plopping into the water behind the swan. There are explosions happening all around and a snake loops over the swans foot and is hissing. Hissing maybe being the original “shhhhh”.