Anette Skou: The symbolic and poetic meaning of Ana's world

The Costa del Sol, as with many other parts of the world, is gearing up to mark International Women's Day tomorrow (8 March), a day that recognises women's achievements and promotes gender equality. A variety of events have been organised to celebrate the day, some arranged by organisations and associations that support women's rights, while other initiatives have been arranged by individual women who use their skills to raise funds for these organisations to continue offering their services.

One of these women is Anette Skou, who is originally from Denmark, but who has been living on the Costa del Sol since 1971.

Anette is hosting her first solo art exhibition in the cultural centre in La Cala de Mijas until the end of March. Under the title of Ana's World, the exhibition will showcase terracotta sculptures that she has been producing for the last couple of years. A percentage of any pieces that are sold during the exhibition will be donated to Soroptimist International Costa del Sol, an association that endeavours to improve the status of women and girls through various different initiatives.

Most foreign residents in the Mijas area will know Anette for her time working as the coordinator of the foreigners' office at Mijas town hall, a position she was offered in 1984 and which she held for three and a half decades.

It was her decision to retire in 2020 that gave her the opportunity to concentrate on her art, or more to the point, sculpture, a mode she began just two years ago. However, as she tells SUR in English, her passion for creation began "many years ago" in Denmark.

"I come from a creative family. My father was an architect, and both he and my mother were interested in art and design, which sparked my interest. I planned to enter the academy of art in Denmark, but my family decided to move to the Costa del Sol in 1971, which changed my plans. In those days, many artists, foreign and Spanish, were living here, especially in Mijas. There was a unique artistic ambience here at that time. It was also where I met my husband, the Spanish artist José María Còrdoba, who has been my best teacher," Anette explains.

Anette has been painting, creating ceramics and designing jewellery ever since, although she felt the need to express herself with "more volume", and sculpture allowed her to "reach another level". The sculptures are unique pieces maintaining their natural colour after firing, while others are created using colours of natural pigments and acrylics, depending on the theme.

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"Until recently, I have not had enough time or the opportunity to dedicate myself to this type of creation. Creating is a strong passion for me and it expresses what I feel I need to build forms in space. My work is inspired by everything that surrounds me. I normally don't plan anything before starting on a piece because I don't use previous sketches. Having to open my mind helps to let it flow naturally, and these figures appear from my subconscious, and even surprise me," the artist says.

Anette, who works from her studio in Fuengirola, says that her sculptures, created with terracotta or clay, contain poetic messages and symbolic meanings.

"For me, creating terracotta sculptures is an exciting experience where I can express myself freely in a personal world. Automatically and naturally, when I have the clay in my hands, the most unexpected figures emerge. When creating images and relationships that are sometimes not logical with the ability to suggest, we enter the world of poetry, although what an artist expresses with forms and symbolic messages cannot be simplified with words," she states.

Anette chose to support the work of Soroptimist International Costa del Sol with her exhibition because she has been an active member of the organisation for many years, and because she has a "social sensitivity". She applauds the fact that there are numerous volunteers on the coast who carry out "essential work on a daily basis", especially because they often cover needs that the "public administration can't cover".

"Any organisation that provides social help on the Costa del Sol is very important for society. I joined Soroptimist because I like to help others, especially women and children. The main focus of our projects in Mijas is to help victims of domestic violence, to support local sports for young girls, and also to collect funds to supply food to the Red Cross food bank. Since the Dana disaster last year, we have supported victims in Valencia and Malaga by helping female entrepreneurs to raise their businesses again and get them back on track after this terrible disaster," Anette says.

This 8 March Anette will spend time away from her exhibition in Mijas to participate in the march in Malaga city centre along with other members of the Soroptimist organisation. The gathering will be attended by women from all over the province whose aim it will be to raise awareness about the educational, work and salary inequalities that women still face in the 21st century.

"I join together with my Soroptimist colleagues every year. The 8M march attracts thousands of other women from all walks of life and we will be there to continue calling for changes. The situation of women's equality worldwide is slowly getting better, especially here in Spain, where I have witnessed big changes since the return to democracy, but there is still very much to do," Anette concludes.

The inauguration of Ana's World will take place at the cultural centre in La Cala de Mijas tonight (Friday) at 8pm.

The collection can then be viewed Monday to Saturday between 10am and 10pm until 31 March. Anette will be present each Thursday between 7pm and 9pm.