Mogens Balle was born as Mogens Erik Schack Balle in Copenhagen on the 1st of April, 1921. He was active as a painter and writer. He was first trained as an architect, but he discontinued this course because he wanted to engage with visual arts.

His first works are naturalistic. From 1945, this changed when he switched to abstract painting. Common motifs in his oeuvre are mythical and fantasy creatures. A year later, in 1946, he traveled to Paris and it is here where he came into contact with artists who similarly worked in an expressive and spontaneous way.

Balle was co-founder of the Danish artist union Spirals (1947). Countryman and artist Asger Jorn (1914-1973), also a member of the aforementioned union is the very reaso...