ELIN SOPHIA SÖDERQVIST

I never planned to become a painter.
I was a student at a prestigious design school in Stockholm when I realized I was in the wrong place. I couldn’t bring myself to care about designing another mug or chair.
One day, during a nude drawing session, a teacher pulled me aside and said, “You should apply to art school instead.” I thank her for that moment — I didn’t even know art schools existed. That was the beginning of everything.
 

As a kid in northern Sweden, I spent long afternoons alone in my room drawing and dreaming. In many ways, I’m still doing that now — and I finally trust that it matters.

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Painting is where I feel most like myself. My mind quiets down, and I no longer worry about saying the right thing or doing something useful — I get to follow an instinct, a question, a feeling. I become curious again. What happens if I try this color? This tool? This texture? I paint and repaint, working in layers until the piece holds something true.

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I’ve always been drawn to contrasts — beauty and chaos, wildness and control, the spontaneous and the intentional. I want the work to feel raw and alive, both skilled and untamed. Sometimes I love a piece, only to paint over it two weeks later. It’s not about getting it perfect. It’s about finding something real.

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I studied at art schools in Stockholm and northern Finland before pivoting into film and animation. I’ve worked for over 20 years as a freelancer in post-production — but painting has always pulled me back. Now I’m here, returning to the core of who I am. Creating expressive, layered work that helps me reconnect with myself… and maybe helps someone else feel a little more connected too.

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I hope my work offers something rich — playful or emotional, strange or beautiful. Like stepping into a world that follows its own logic, but still invites you in.