Interview

Written By Editorial Team

Johanna Sandström

Johanna has been emerging as an artist these past few years. After completing art studies in Stockholm and Berlin, she joined a coaching programme to get help to reach a more personalised style and a defined target audience. After that, she has shown her work in various parts of Sweden and has been invited to join exhibitions in Europe that will take place in summer and autumn of 2025. Johanna comes from a small town called Kungsbacka, located on the West Coast near the sea. Here, she has also been active in local charity environmental programs where her birds help spread awareness and a inspiration.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I come from Sweden and started drawing and painting as a young girl. I started creating big paintings early on. But my chosen career was not art, I chose business and marketing and for years I tried to create a satisfying life with that choice until one day when I had enough. Life was boring, and the work that takes up so much of ones every day life, was uninspiring and draining. I decided to make a change. I picked up the brush again. First, I rekindled my love for art by myself, then I joined some online courses and finally, I quit my job and joined a full-time program and a few on-site courses to gain knowledge in techniques and inspiration from others. Eventually, I signed up for an intensive course in Berlin and that was when I fully realised that I had what it takes. That gave me the courage to fully commit. Since then, I have had three exhibitions and I am now fully embracing life as a full time artist.”

What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?

“My work is spiritual. Each painting has a purpose and a message that I want to get out. Often, it is about self-love, reflection, inner work. But sometimes the message is just about joy and excitement of feeling the elements and being alive! I have some paintings where humans are the main subjects and there, the spiritual influence is obvious. But my birds are sneaky. Their body language, their attitude, the type of birds. Everything is carefully chosen for their specific message and what I hope the viewer feels when they see it.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“I would say that it is a combination of both. I have a folder on Pinterest with hundreds of bird photos of funny, colourful, interesting birds that I want to capture in paint. The ambition is to eventually paint all the birds I want to paint. But I always wait until I myself am in the right mood for each specific bird. So, one day, I can wake up and be full of yellow energy because the sun is shining, spring is in the air and everything feels fantastic. So, I paint a yellow pheasant. Or I feel completely serene and at ease with myself and life, so I choose to start painting the heron. Or I feel an immense sense of pride, joy and love for myself. That is how the swan started. I often get the emotion myself first and try to cease the moment by painting it in the form of a bird.”

“My work is spiritual. Each painting has a purpose and a message that I want to get out.”

Are there any art world trends you are following?

“There are so many trends going around right now, but I want to spread joy with my art so the artists I follow have the same philosophy. Vibrant colours, exciting play with textures and captivating or symbolic choice of subjects. Sometimes, the opt for humour and I might be exploring that, too.”

What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“I do sometimes create in watercolours or oil, but my preferred medium is acrylics because it's more free and fun. The starting point of each painting is always ‘which bird and which energy.’ The chosen bird is often chosen because it is less commonly represented in art, but other aspects play a role as well. If it’s a migratory bird, or locally adored, does it have a cultural significance or innate symbolism to most people. Although each bird carries energies and spiritual symbolic meaning, it is equally important to also pay tribute to its common connection to people. The colours are carefully chosen to carry the message both aesthetically and symbolically. I start by setting the mood of the background, then sketch directly onto that in acrylics. I do not measure to perfection, the aim is not to be exact but to capture the essence. The bird itself starts its life as a white silhouette and is then built up from dark cold colours and gradually becoming warmer and lighter to initiate shadows and light with the play of different hues. The last part of the process is to build up the body of the bird and the movement of the feathers with the movement of the brush-strokes. Here, I have incorporated the abstract philosophy of how to create dynamics with the direction of each stroke and choice of colour. The result is a vibrant image that captures the bird’s energy and charisma.”

 What does your art mean to you?

“I myself am in love with all of my pieces. Some will be hard to let go of when that day comes. I feel like they are an extention of me, my love for the world and the light that I want to spread to others. It is very personal but it is also very important that it gets out.”

What’s your favourite artwork and why?

“My favourite is still my swan. I have others that make me really happy and proud. But the swan is created using a method that is very time-consuming but also exciting. When numerous dots and different colours next to each other create an effect that the swan is glowing and you can feel the warmth of the sunset while the multiple layers of paint in the water has created a dreamy state of mind. The choice to have the swan be in mid-flight was for the message of self-love and the power of inner peace be represented in something so graceful, yet so strong.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“I just finished an exhibition in a gallery show in Galleri Plume, Viken, located in Southern Sweden. My art is currently also on exhibition in the restaurant of Grönhögen GolfLinks on Öland; to be displayed over the summer but also as a collaboration for the upcoming bird watcher events taking place locally. I also won first place in a competition and my art will be on display of one special event this summer, at Art Charity Expo in Gothenburg.”

 
Editorial Team
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