Creating depth in pools of gorgeous inks, Astrid Linnéa Andersson masterfully handles the swirls and bleeds of colour to create drawings that are vibrant and expressive.
The interesting nature of Astrid’s work is in the constant play between opposing forces that seem to be tentatively held together on the page. Rich inks move freely and unpredictably, but are reigned into line, forcing a distinguishable structure out from the chaos.
As Astrid describes, the contrast between the unexpected and the orchestrated is an important quality she tries to achieve in her work. She talks to us about how she manages this balancing act.
I am an illustrator and a graphic designer based in the city of Malmö, south Sweden. I have a masters degree (MFA) in design but went to art school before I started studying design.
I do freelance design and illustration work but I also work and exhibit as an artist with my own projects.
I mostly see myself as a drawer, even though some of the techniques I use are more painterly like. I work in a wide range of materials, pencil, gouache or digitally as well as ink and watercolours.
Lately, I’ve been working mostly with liquid inks and a lot of water on the paper, trying to achieve that half chance half controlled result which you can see in my series ‘Pastel Greens’.
In that series of drawings, I worked with the palm trees and bright pastel colours as some kind of symbol for escape.
I still enjoy working carefully in pencil for the detail and softness you can achieve, but at the moment I seem to be taking a break from it.
Although I am mostly inspired by the act of drawing itself, I tend to work with nature a lot. And what nature symbolises or means to us.
I like the dreamlike and moods which are slightly surreal. I don’t really keep a proper sketchbook but as a productivity challenge for myself I used the format of the sketchbook to draw faces in, quick exercises of people usually with a photo as reference.
I did one face per day, and so now I have quite the collection.
I still try to draw a little every day, just to keep things going. Right now, I’ve just started working on/thinking about a solo show I will be having in a small gallery here in Malmö this October, and I think it will somehow revolve around the forest as a place.
© Astrid Linnéa Andersson, 2015
