Swedish artist Julia Mai Linnéa Maria is currently based in Berlin where she lives with her two children and partner, but occasionally visits Reykjavik, Iceland where she has spent many years. She is a self-taught artist and has been painting as long as she can remember. She opened up a shop last year to sell her art and makes her living mainly on that. She has a unique dreamlike style which is influenced by nature and the fluid anatomy of the human body and the latter is very noticable in each illustration of her. She often steps over the border into parallel universes where anything is possible. There is a distinct delicate tone in her work, with a fine balance between the light and the dark, between the real and the surreal. “I like the way watercolour has a life of its own, the way it flows, always a little bit unpredictable. I grew up by the sea and have always been drawn to water in all forms, so using a dry medium is just not as appealing to me.” she told us in our online interview with her, adding that; “Describing my art is always the hardest, I can’t do it without using words from others so It’s better to let the pieces speak for themselves. My inspiration is part nostalgia, part a longing for nature and part pure imagination. Painting is sometimes a way to escape, and sometimes I paint dreams or daydreams. If I were to mention artists that have inspired me a few examples would be Leonor Fini, Hilma at Klint and René Magritte.” We’ve rounded up some of her most imaginative and surreal art pieces to feast your artistic side.
