by Debra Muzikar
Fourteen-year old Nina Jensen of Denmark has a talent for portraits. When she draws a portrait of a person she admires, she hopes she will be able to get them to sign her portrait. This week Nina was thrilled when Harry Styles of the band One Direction signed her portrait in front of 30,000 fans at a concert in Denmark.
This is how it looked on the big screen at the concert.
For those of us over the age of 30 who may not know who Harry Styles is, here’s a little background. In 2010, Styles auditioned as a solo artist for the British television series The X Factor. After being eliminated as a solo performer, Styles was brought back into the competition, along with four other contestants, to form the group that would later become known as One Direction. Since then they’ve had incredible success including a #1 Single in the U.K. and winning four MTV awards.
Nina, who started drawing when she was 12 has an impressive collection of signed portraits. Celebrities who’ve signed her original portraits include Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Shailene Woodle, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford.
She was thrilled when the entire band signed her Luke Hemmings drawing!
Even though Nina draws every day, her aspirations for a future career are not to be an artist. “I want to be a successful business woman,” she says, “Maybe working in the entertainment field as a tour manager.”
Nina met Jennifer O’Toole of Asperkids recently in Denmark. Nina’s mom is translating the Asperkids books into Danish. Jennifer and Nina will be collaborating on a future project that highlights Nina’s design and art skills. Nina was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome around age 8. Her brother and mom also have the same diagnosis. Nina believes her dedication to perfection and her keen observation skills come with the diagnosis and help her in her artistic creations.
Nina says the Harry Styles moment is a highlight in her life. “To have, probably my favorite person, bring my drawing on stage, DURING the concert and sign it in front of 30.000 people, was probably one of my favorite things to happen. And they’ve seen a lot of stuff like that, but NEVER brought it on stage.”
In the future Nina would love to get a signed autograph of Jon Bon Jovi on a drawing. To see more of Nina’s drawings visit her artist Fb page – Nina Artist.
So many artists that are so, so, gifted. Inspiring and beautiful.