My journey as an artist began when I was a child, messing up my parents’ carpet.
I glued and painted everything together, until they finally gave me my own crafting room — my very first atelier. There I could play and create freely, and my parents got their clean carpet back.

When I graduated from school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Since I also loved sewing, I enrolled in a fashion design program in Denmark in 2013. I enjoyed making garments, but I didn’t resonate with the fashion industry behind it. Because ethical values are important to me, I decided to quit and moved on to product design — which also offered many more materials to play with 😉. I studied in Potsdam, near Berlin, a gorgeous city that felt like a big playground where everything seemed possible.

I enjoyed my Bachelor’s so much that I took my time finishing it. During my studies, I built furniture from wood, bent and welded metal, 3D-printed plastic, molded ceramics, edited photos and videos, bound books, and much more. It was also during this time that my One Line Drawing journey began. In an illustration class, one of the first exercises was to create portraits using just one continuous line. It was so much fun that I never stopped using this technique.

Today, I live, dance, make music, and create art in my favorite city — Amsterdam.
I am deeply grateful for the path my life has taken. After completing my studies, I chose to leave Berlin and make Amsterdam my home. Drawn by the city’s openness, the warmth of its people, its cultural diversity, and the support it offers for artistic adventures, I knew it was the right place to settle.

Here, I also discovered Ecstatic Dance, which has had a strong influence on my work. If you don’t know it yet: Ecstatic Dance is a free-form movement practice where we dance barefoot and sober, allowing ourselves to become more grounded. We don’t use words to communicate — our bodies express everything we need to say, if we listen carefully. Ecstatic Dance is my weekly practice, where I learn to let go of my mind and allow my body to move intuitively. It is also where I research the art of authentic connection. My One Line Art is created in one continuous flow and symbolizes connection — much like the way I dance.
 

These authentic connections become visible through live drawing at events, personal commission works, exhibitions, and performances. My vision is to encourage people to break free from limiting beliefs and rediscover their playful, authentic creative expression. Since 2022, I have been hosting One Line Drawing Workshops as a fun, relaxing, and bonding experience. Spoken language is nether the less an important aspect of connection, which is why I fluently switch between German, English, and Dutch in my projects and facilitations.

Feel welcome to join one of my upcoming events to connect with yourself and meet others.


Do you have more questions?
I'm happy to tell you more about my journey.
Please send them to hello@janamordhorst.com and I come back to them asap :)