Phobophobia & Besla

One year ago, it had been 8 months since I moved back home. I had a studio and was busy with work, but felt a little lonely in my own little illustration world. I suddenly got the feeling I needed to find the rest of the herd, the illustrator herd. I went to a few Design March events that year and loved it, got very inspired, but again I felt very isolated in my profession. I know it is a lonely job being an artist, but I decided at the moment when I walked out of an event full of architects, product -, clothing- and graphic-designers etc. that I'd find the few souls out there called illustrators. And I decided that next Design March we would have an illustration exhibition.

And I'll be damned, it happened!!! One year later these few souls, (33 to be exact) from around the country and the world got together and created a show called Phobophobia. We now usually meet for coffee once a month and on one of those meet-ups we decided how we'd have the show, chose the structure and the theme. Every illustrator chose a phobia to illustrate in a poster. You can read more about the show here. It worked out so great, we got great publicity and so many people came to the opening, even the president!

Pedeophobia - Linda Olafsdottir

My Phobia was Pedeophobia (I know, the name of it sounds horrible!) but it is the fear of dolls. It shows a poor old man that tries to survive the night in his granddaughters room. The inspiration for it came from when I lived in San Francisco where my parents and mother in law had to spend the nights surrounded with toy cars and posters of Ferrari's when they came to visit (you better not have the fear of cars when sleeping in my son's room)!


You can see more works from the show here.

I also participated in a show called Flétta or Braid. It showed works from a collaboration between designers in different fields. I worked with my friend and studio mate, the clothing- and textile designer Brynja Emils. She designed clothes for babies and I made the pattern. I can't tell you how exciting it was for us to get the prototypes from India where the clothes are made, and to see and feel the real product. They are oh so soft and the colors are so pretty. I can't wait to see where Brynja takes her new line of children's clothing, it's off to a great start I think :)

Besla - Models Iðunn and Marínó