LINUM meets; Cajsa Wessberg.

Her face is well known. The fact is, you’ve probably seen her somewhere in recent years. With nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram, lots of successful assignments as a model and with a love of pastel colours, the versatile Cajsa Wessberg has also created a prominent identity as an illustrator and designer.

How did you decide on illustration as a form of expression, and what do you want to convey through it?

I’ve always loved to draw, and feel that illustration can be transformed into so many things. An illustration for a book, or a design for a cushion or even on a body. I’d like my next achievement to be transforming my illustrations into light!

How do you choose your motifs, and realise them? What’s the technique you use?

I sometimes see pictures that inspire me, or choose a motif to visualise a message, but quite often I have no idea of what I’m going to draw until I put pen to paper.

This is how the process usually unfolds:

1. I think about what I want to get across (e.g. feminism)
2. I gather visual inspiration (usually on Pinterest)
3. I start to draw!
4. I choose the drawing I like best, and start to develop it.

Colours are something LINUM has been working with since our foundation in 1966. We love very simple colours, what do colours mean to you? And how do you use them in your work?

I also love colours! But I think it’s hard to make really bold colour matches such as purplse/moss green/orange, and therefore often use slightly paler pastel colours I can match with black and white. But I get unbelievably impressed by anyone who can create artificial, weird colour explosions!

Are you influenced by the colours around you?

You bet! My home features various pastels. For example, my lounge has light blue walls and soft pink, with purple furniture – I love those colours. I also love the fact that Stockholm is such a colourful city. I feel so happy when I pass green, yellow and pink houses on the street.

What do you think about colours?

I think we need more of them – absolutely! The beige/grey/white period has lasted a long time when it comes to interior design and clothes, which I think is just so sad. We all love beautiful blue, green and yellow colours, don’t we? So why don’t we surround ourselves with them? A great way to start is to with colourful textiles in the home, or some really colourful clothes! I love to dress monochrome in just blue or green.

See more of Cajsa Wessberg here.