35 Years of Visual Communication. From Art Director to Artist.
I am a Swedish artist and Art Director based in Karlstad, Sweden, with over 30 years of experience in advertising, graphic design and visual communication.
Throughout my career, my work has received national and international recognition, including awards at the Epica Awards, nominations and finalist placements at Cannes Lions and Eurobest, and numerous Swedish advertising awards.
My background has given me a strong foundation in typography, colour, composition and visual storytelling.
In recent years, I have increasingly turned my attention towards fine art, using the knowledge and skills developed throughout my professional career to create art rather than commercial messages.
My work combines painting, photography, typography and digital techniques, often exploring contradictions, visual associations and the language of advertising.
1. Idea and Subject. Each work begins with an idea, a play on words or a visual association connected to the overarching theme of the series.
2. Typographic Studies. I explore different typefaces and proportions for the recurring letter D, which serves as the graphic foundation of the series. I begin by comparing different serif and sans-serif typefaces, considering their individual character and the feelings they evoke.
3. Composition Studies. Using preliminary images, I experiment with the object’s position, scale and relationship to the letter D.
4. Colour Studies. I develop four or five colour variations, comparing backgrounds, contrasts and simulated fields of painted colour.
5. Materials and Rejected Alternatives. I test different backgrounds, textures and forms of visual expression. The rejected alternatives are an important part of the process, helping me refine and clarify the image.
The creative process
6. Object Studies and Photography. The object is photographed using a medium- or large-format camera. In some works, I also incorporate smaller photographed objects, painted elements or digitally altered documentary images.
7. Digital Processing. Each photograph is individually retouched in Photoshop. I then reconstruct the composition, adjusting its scale, contrast and details.
8. Final Sketch. Several completed variations are compared side by side. I select the composition, typography and colour scheme that work best, both as an individual artwork and as part of the wider series.
9. Planning the Painting. The digital sketch is divided into fields of colour, layers and stages, which will later be executed by hand.
10. Printing. The photographic image is printed in black directly onto the painted acrylic surface.
11. Painting in Acrylic. I paint over selected areas of the photographic image and onto the surrounding canvas, following the chosen colour scheme.
12. Final Reworking. I continue working on the piece using acrylic paint, spray paint and stencils. Elements of the image may be altered, emphasised or partially painted over.
13. The Finished Artwork. The finished piece is a unique original in which photography, graphic design, printing and hand-painting come together. The digital sketch serves as a plan, but the physical process and the inherent qualities of the materials ultimately determine the final result.
14. Limited Edition Fine Art Prints. Selected digital sketches and colour variations may also be produced as limited edition Fine Art Prints, offering alternative interpretations of the original composition.
