That's Amore: Andrea Johansson's new illustration series pays homage to our guilty food pleasures

Brooklyn-based Swedish illustrator Andrea Johansson has created a series of illustrations titled That's Amore, a quasi-reference to Dean Martin's classic song, but more a collection of images showing people's favourite foods. You could say it's a homage to our guilty pleasures.

The format is pretty straightforward. Eight square illustrations that can be displayed together side by side, or in desired order. Each square displays a body paired with a food item, alternating in different postures. The figures are touching the edges in a way where it creates a sense of isolation, almost like being inside a box. Andrea asks the question, what do we really like to eat when we are alone?

"I tried to experiment with having as many different poses as possible fit inside the square while staying true to the scale of the figure yet connecting with the food. It resulted in some unexpected compositions that I wouldn't have come to if not having set those guidelines," Andrea told Creative Boom.

She adds: "I like to give myself some restrictions while starting a personal project. Much like working with a client, it pushes imagination into new territories where it becomes a matter of creative problem-solving. I guess this is something that comes naturally having a background in graphic design where there are rules for where things go, and where to break them."

With a bold palette, Andrea applies a range of primary colours to the series including red, pink and orange, along with two contrasting hues of light yellow and dark brown.

Speaking of the form, she says: "Creating and adjusting forms is something that is a big part of my work. I’d like each shape to function as an element of dimension although my illustration style is built on 'flat' color blocks. I try to weave smooth edges with sharp, to achieve that depth and a living silhouette."

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