“Having grown up in Madagascar, I believe that the people there may not have a lot, but they find comfort in the little joys in life. Through my art, I would like to showcase the reality of the situation there and paint the community in a more positive light.”

Elsa Åkesson

Artist

Our Urban Explorer

Could you please briefly introduce yourself to our guests?

My name is Elsa Åkesson and I was born and raised in Madagascar. I am Swedish and Malagasy, and from the age of nine onwards, that was when I started really travelling with my family. I moved to Switzerland at the age of 9, but Madagascar has always remained the main source of inspiration for my art because that is the place I feel most connected to.

Did you always have a fascination with painting?

Painting was always something I was very passionate about. I started painting in high school and I really enjoyed it as a hobby. In university, I took the more traditional business path but in my second year, I realised my calling was in painting, so I consistently focused on this craft while I was still in business school. My family was very supportive, and my father was generous in funding the materials I needed to experiment and teach myself. At a certain point, I would look at my paintings and could not believe that I really brought these works to life. The funny thing is that sooner or later, your feelings speak louder than your voice and that was what happened to me with painting.

When did you decide that you wanted to create a career out of your passion?

Once I had my heart set on painting, I sat my parents down and told them how I really felt. To my surprise, they really supported and encouraged me to take this path, so I dropped out of business school and re-applied to art school. When I dropped out of business school, I gave myself one condition – if I was going to do this, then I would give it my all. And I would make sure I would not fail and fully commit to it as this would be my life now. And I will really devote my entire life to it. Hence, I truly believe that if you don’t give up and if you have grit and determination, then at some point you are going to make it. I finished with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting at the University of the Arts London, which lasted three years. That was really the beginning of my professional art career.

What does a day in the life of Elsa Åkesson look like?

There is honestly so much to do throughout the day as I wear many different hats. There is this notion that an artist’s job is not as demanding as a corporate job but in reality, you have to be as much a savvy entrepreneur as a good artist. It goes hand in hand because not only do you paint, but you also have to make sure you market your work via social media and online and get in touch with galleries, so essentially you are doing everything yourself. On most days, I work from 8AM to 11PM and even on weekends. I thoroughly enjoy what I do so for me, it does not feel like work. But the days can indeed be quite long!

How do you think you fit into the term “Urban Explorer”?

I think I fit into the term “urban explorer” quite well because I am constantly exploring various mediums to express my feelings, thoughts, and emotions – whether it be the types of paints I use, the photography that inspires me, or the subject matter I choose. That is me being an urban explorer. I also find comfort in walking around different cities and observing the people, their movements and taking in the myriad of colours in my surroundings that may inspire my next piece.

An Artist Is Born

How do you think your childhood in Madagascar and later living in Switzerland at the age of 9 has shaped you or inspired you as an artist?

Having grown up in Madagascar, I believe that the people there may not have a lot, but they find comfort in the little joys in life. Time and again, when I see Africa and kids being represented in Europe, they are presented in a suffering type of way. And having grown up in Madagascar, it is the total opposite. Through my art, I would like to showcase the reality of the situation there and paint the community in a more positive light.

Can you walk us through the creative process of bringing your art to life?

I always bring my camera with me wherever I travel, and I enjoy taking lots of photos. When I come home, I will sift through them, which is really the beginning of the process. There is always going to be a few photographs that really strike my inspiration – an instant connection where I am drawn to the subject, and then my imagination starts to take over. I will dream up colours that I may have seen in a different place or even in a different photograph. In my artwork, I always strive to create a contrast between colours to convey the mood and emotion of the subject. For the background, I always try to make it very symmetrical and simple to give more importance to the subject matter. Once I start painting, I am so captivated by the subject that I let my imagination run free and I don’t want to stop.

On your website, you mentioned that painting for you is like entering a utopian world every time you take a paintbrush out to start a new canvas. What do you want your audience to feel when they look at your artwork?

Through my paintings, I want to create two colours, a utopian world where the viewers can enter inside and exit some negative reality. A majority of us are very stressed or overwhelmed after a long day and so when you come back home, I think it is very important to have art that really brings life, colour, joy and positive energy to your home. My works are also a self-representation of myself, and I am a very positive person so I would like to convey a sense of optimism. Essentially, it is all about good joy, good life, and good energy.

When it comes to the use of colour in your artwork, do different palettes evoke a certain emotion or feeling for you?

Yes, definitely. For me, yellow is a colour that represents light, joy, and liveliness. I have also discovered this stunning shade of blue during a trip to Marrakech and it has become almost my signature colour that is present across numerous works. It provides a very nice contrast against the other paint colours on the canvas. Texture and colour are something that is very important to me, so I pay very close attention to it. I also like to experiment a lot with different high-quality paints handmade in France to ensure that my works are durable and can last a very long time. Hence, the quality of materials I use is of huge significance to me.

What would you say to those who believe that “art imitates life”? Do you think there is truth to it?

I totally agree! I think that art has a life of its own as well. It can be life but better and it can also be the opposite, depending on what mood the artist is trying to convey. It is like an escape from the reality.

Travel Inspiration

How often do you travel?

I travel almost every two to three weeks for either work and exhibitions or just for inspiration and visiting my family.

Where does your inspiration for travel come from?

I would say mainly social media today. I think the Instagram algorithm really listens to me because my feed is bombarded with all travel content or art. Seeing all these beautiful places, I have now created a folder where I can save all the destinations I want to visit. I also take recommendations from my friends too.

What other destinations are on your bucket list?

Namibia is on the top of my list! The landscape and its surroundings are just so beautiful and surreal to me.

In 3 words, how would you describe London?

Cosmopolitan, Contemporary, Classical

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