Behind the motifs: Meet designer Gabriella Roberg

”I often begin with something specific in mind, but my tendency to be impatient, and my enthusiasm, usually take control of the process.”

Gabriella Roberg has her roots in northern Sweden, where she lives with her partner and two children. Her artistic subjects are a mixture of realistic paintings, graphical portraits and abstract patters, often with elements of the surreal.

"I'm inspired by contradictory surrealism, the shape of cheekbones and abstract freedom. I often begin with something specific in mind, but my tendency to be impatient, and my enthusiasm, usually take control of the process. The result is a combination of carefully painted works where I've spread my thoughts and feelings across the canvas," she tell us.

Posters with abstract patterns - posters with portraits of Lennon and Kahlo

An early starter

Gabriella discovered her creative side early on. She says that even then she realised that creating things was a way for her to have an outlet for her feelings, and to gather her energy.

"Already from a young age, creating things became for me a kind of emotional funnel, where I could paint my innermost self onto the canvas with oils and acrylics. In the creative process, I had an outlet for joy and sorrow - and all the shades of feeling in-between. Here, I could put down my artistic roots in a way that suited me," she says.

Self-taught artist

The mastery that Gabriella has acquired has come from her own efforts. Through being curious and unafraid to test things, she has come to discover the techniques that work best for her.

"I'm self-taught, but throughout the years my curiosity has led me to try everything in the great jungle of materials and mediums. These days, I mostly paint with ink, graphite and digital painting," she explains.

Graphical posters - posters with portraits of women and feminine symbols

Art, cold coffee and sweets

It's probably not so strange that an artist is totally absorbed by the creative process, and forgets everything else for the time being. When asked whether she has any traditional habits during the creative process, Gabriella answers forthrightly:

"There is always a cup of coffee on the desk, as well as a bowl of sweets. The coffee usually goes cold as I sit and work."

 

If you want to see more of Gabriella's art, you can follow her on Instagram @gabriellaroberg.art

See all posters with Gabriella's images here!