In the latest edition of our Meet the Artist series, Liss Stender (livaurora) shares with us her love of frozen lakes and stormy weather as a year round resident of Greenland. She’s a Spoonflower designer inspired by her roots, her culture, and the turbulent natural environment around her.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)

Greetings, Liss! Where do you call home? Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender in Greenland
My day starts with... Drinking a nice cup of coffee, looking at the ocean and enjoying the weather regardless of whether it rains, storms or snows. So I check e-mail, drive my son to school and open my shop at 10 o’clock in the morning.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender in Greenland
I fell in love with design when… in 1987, when I returned to Greenland and discovered how much I had missed my country and my culture. I began drawing and designing in the late 1980s.
Snow Owl from Greenland by Livaurora
Snow Owl from Greenland by Livaurora
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)
Inuk from Greenland by Livaurora
Tell us about your process. What’s in your toolbox? Pencil, pen (I make my own ink), brush and paper. Once I have my drawing sketched out, I evaluate whether I should re-draw it on my Mac computer or not. I use Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator. I sew all prototypes myself.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)
Inuk Man & Woman by livaurora
When I’m in my studio, I feel… free!
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)
Inuk Family by livaurora
Who or what influences or inspires your work and why? Subconsciously, through my designs I am able to express my past memories. I’m drawing my culture. It is important for me to remember my roots and further transmit Greenland’s culture in new ways.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)
My favorite small business shop is… Kraum in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)
Inuk Woman by livaurora
If I could live in a painting, it would be… one of Carl Larsson’s pictures. I love his world of warmth, creativity and lots of people in the Swedish countryside.
Carl Larsson
If I could only wear one fabric, it would… have a picture of a frozen lake on it.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)
Inuk Red by livaurora
My favorite Spoonflower fabric to work with is… Basic Cotton Ultra and Organic Cotton Sateen.
I’d love to see one of my designs turned into a… menswear suit.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora) and president of Greenland
The secret to a strong collection is… to have a strong DNA in your design.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)Liss Stender (livaurora)
Best advice I ever received is… be positive, believe in yourself and never give up.
Spoonflower designer Liss Stender (livaurora)
Pleasure getting to know you, Liss! Get to know more designers in our community.