BLOGS

Sunlight as a Design Partner: Creating Window Art That Turns Heads

Flowers need sunlight. So do we. Without light, neither bloom fully.

By: JOHANNE LYKKE | 21-10-2025 | 3 min read
Floral Art
Johanne Lykke Winter Windows

Flowers need sunlight. So do we. Without light, neither bloom fully.

I’ve always been drawn to light. Maybe it’s because I grew up in Scandinavia, where it shifts dramatically through the seasons, and a single ray through a winter window can change your entire mood.

My Strong Connection With Flowers

I’m 36 now, but I’ve been an artist since I was five. Back then, I painted small flowers and landscapes in watercolor, copying my grandmother’s delicate studies. Watercolor is all about light and transparency. There’s traditionally no white paint, only paper and water creating the illusion of light. Even then, I felt a strong connection with flowers, turning my face toward the light, much like they do.

 

Johanne Lykke Winter Windows quote

Johanne Lykke Winter Windows quote

 

 

Sunflowers follow the sun across the sky. Tulips open with the day and close at night. I’ve always felt a bit like that: searching for energy and direction in life by turning toward the light.

Over the years, light has shaped not only my art but also my mood, creativity, and sense of hope. When sunlight interacts with my work, I feel like I’m in dialogue with something much bigger than myself.

 

Johanne Lykke Rainbow flowers street

 

When Art Becomes Alive

Traditional floristry lives in vases, bouquets, and centerpieces. I’ve always been fascinated by the immediate, intuitive beauty of flowers. How they change through the day and how light transforms them.

Maybe that is what drew me toward creating art beyond canvas or paper. I wanted to make window art so the sun itself could collaborate, casting colored reflections like stained glass. Window art doesn’t just sit in a space; it interacts with sunlight, weather, time, and our inner connection to nature.

When I was invited to create a floral artwork for Flowers by Nimb in Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of the Tivoli Flower Festival, I wanted to make something that moved with the light. I didn’t just want to decorate windows; I wanted them to move with the sun in order to move people.

 

Johanne Lykke Window Flowers by Nimb
Flowers by Nimb in Copenhagen, Denmark

 

I made Sway, a window installation of delicate, hand-cut flowers layered with rainbow foil. Once sunlight hit them, they glowed in every color of the rainbow, scattering playful reflections across the street. Watching people notice this sweet interaction in the urban space reminded me how deeply art and sunlight belong together.

 

Johanne Lykke Windows rainbow shadow

 

The Language of Light

Light is never constant. It changes every second, just like we do. Maybe that’s why I find it so deeply human. It’s full of emotion. People respond so strongly to artworks that involve it because light is not just visual; it’s emotional. Light is life.

Some artworks are fixed, like a painting on a wall. But light-responsive art refuses to stay still. It changes constantly, just like life. That’s what I love about using flowers and sunlight as materials. Together, they become a reminder that life isn’t static.

Light has its own rhythm. Arriving, shifting, fading, returning. Flowers follow it without question, trusting it will come back. Maybe that’s what we’re all learning: to trust the cycle, to find beauty in the constant change of being alive.

 

Johanne Lykke Windows rainbow reflections

 

About Me

I am a Danish visual artist working at the intersection of light, color, and emotion, with more than 500 m² of window art to her name. Through my installations, I explore how flowers and sunlight can transform ordinary spaces into living, breathing experiences and how they can move and uplift us. My work has brought both public and private windows to life across Denmark, and I am currently preparing my second international window transformation, the first of European grounds at the Queens Botanical Garden in New York (2026).

 

Johanne Lykke Rainbow flowers Nimb

 

Click to see more @jolykke.

FAQ

Why does Johanne Lykke's blog emphasize natural light in design?

The blog highlights how sunlight can be more than just illumination — it acts as a creative element that shapes color, texture, and mood. By treating sunlight as a design partner, artists and florists can enhance the natural beauty of their work, create dynamic compositions throughout the day, and build a stronger connection between the indoor and outdoor environments.

How can designers work with changing sunlight throughout the day?

Designers can observe how light moves through a space and use it to their advantage — for instance, placing arrangements or installations where morning or evening light enhances texture and shadow. Rather than fighting sunlight’s variability, the article suggests embracing its rhythm to bring a living quality to design.

What role does sunlight play in color perception?

Natural sunlight reveals the truest hues of flowers and materials. Unlike artificial light, it shifts in tone and warmth across the day, influencing how we experience color emotionally. This blog explains that this dynamic quality can be used intentionally to evoke different moods or highlight specific design details.

Johanne Lykke profile picture
Johanne Lykke

Johanne Lykke (born 1989) is a Danish visual artist specializing in floral window art. After living abroad in New York, Berlin, and Copenhagen, she recently relocated to her home island - the southern part of the Danish Island, Funen, to get closer to nature and explore life and the possibilities outside the big cities.

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