Lys Hansen (born 1936) is a Scottish artist regarded as one of the country's most important figurative expressionist painters. She currently lives and works in Braco, Perthshire.
Hansen was born in Falkirk and grew up in Alloa. Hansen studied at Edinburgh College of Art from 1955 to 1959 before continuing to attend the University of Edinburgh where she studied fine art in 1961. After studying art, Hansen trained as a teacher. She has travelled and worked across Europe, including to France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Denmark.
Hansen was working in Berlin when the Berlin Wall came down, greatly impacting her creative direction. Her work is often considered introspective and challenging. Often working in paint, Hansen explores the human condition in her work. Having previously exhibited her paintings, Hansen exhibited her drawings for the first time in 2012. A sculpture in wood by Hansen formed part of an exhibition at the Kunsthuis Gallery, Yorkshire, in 2016.
Hansen is recognised for her work in supporting other artists. Her work has also inspired the poem Warpaint And Womanflesh by Scottish writer and Scots Makar, Liz Lochhead.
Hansen was the subject of the book, Passionate Paint: The Art of Lys Hansen, published by Mainstream Publishing Ltd in 1998.
Hansen is a past president and current member of the Society of Scottish Artists.
Pieces by Hansen are held in several public collections, including the following works,