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InspirationIllustration

Andrea Johansson's illustrations have an unexpected balance of humour, colour and idiosyncrasy

The principles of design are clear in Andrea Johansson's illustrations; formal composition, negative space and hierarchy play a prominent role in her work. She finds a lot of her inspiration in both the mundane and in art historical references, such as Milton Avery’s or Marsden Hartley's paintings, Jean Arp’s shapes and Sophie Taeuber Arp’s puppets.

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Three women with distinctive styles gather around drinks against a deep blue background in Andrea Johansson's illustration

Her titling/naming is important in her work and her illustrations aim to communicate the viewer’s interpretation rather than a literal narrative. These particular works are part of a self-initiated project with a goal to express a humorous and natural style.

Andrea is an illustrator and designer from southern Sweden who is living and working in New York. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2014 with an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design. Prior to that she completed courses at Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm and Scuola Leonardo Da Vinci in Rome.

Andrea started out as a graphic designer with a focus on branding hospitality projects. She soon realised her heart was in illustration, and has since focused her attention on that. She approaches her work with a visual direction that contains an unexpected balance of humour, composition, colour, form, and idiosyncrasy. You can discover more at andreajohansson.com.

Stylised profile of a woman with long black hair wearing brown, with a red bird and brown bowl balanced on her head against an orange background
Two illustrated figures with pink and navy hair embrace against a bright orange background, one speaking in a pink speech bubble
Three illustrated figures with dark blue hair and yellow skin nested inside each other like Russian dolls, wearing navy and red clothing with white floral details on a pink background
Woman with black hair wearing a white shirt rests her head on her hand next to a grey koala, with two dice below them on a dark background
Woman in pink swimsuit and orange cap holding the reins of a large white swan against a blue background
Abstract illustration by Andrea Johansson showing three stylised figures in dynamic poses against a yellow background, rendered in brown, black and red tones
Woman with black hair and large yellow wings sits on a bench with a black cat, holding a cocktail against an orange background with geometric shapes
Two stylised figures in black clothing sit against a warm tan background, one holding a cigarette and a coffee cup nearby
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