Else Alfelt

Who was Else Alfelt?

Else Alfelt was a painter who was born and died in Copenhagen. She was one of the two women in the CoBrA. She was married to Carl-Henning Pedersen, also a veteran of CoBrA.

Alfelt begun her painting career early but never had any formal education in art. She sent art pieces to the yearly show of Danish artists beginning in 1929, but was not accepted there until 1936 displaying two naturalistic portraits. Soon after this, her painting style switched over to abstract. In the late 1940s she joined CoBrA.

Alfelt's art often uses the shape of spirals, mountains and spheres as an expression of "inner space". Apart from paintings she produced several mosaic pieces. When she made portraits, her husband would often pose for them.

She was awarded the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat in 1961.