ARTIST SARA ÖDMAN
ARTIST AND ART DIRECTOR
In her early twenties Sara moved from South Sweden to settle down in Paris where she studied and worked 10 years. With a Master's degree in Art Direction from the renowned school ESAG Penninghen, her design has crossed different disciplines such as window display design, brand identity and packaging design within luxury and prêt-à-porter. When working in Beijing, she made her first encounter with textile and print design, a passion that she’s constantly inspired to develop. Today Sara works as an Artist and Art Director in France, Lyon.
To create is an infinite part of me and has always been, I’ve loved to illustrate since I can remember. The empty paper inspires me, I always get my energy flowing just by the thought of coloring that white space. My father painted a lot when I was younger, colorful pieces, full of energy. My brother Fredrik, is a photographer and artist creating visuals where the imagination has no boundaries and my mother has always been very creative, working with textile and decoration. I definitely feel that imagination and creativity are my fuels for feeling alive.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
Surrounded by the prairies and the ocean my entire childhood, nature is a big part of my roots and my source of inspiration. It’s an endless treasure with combinations of colors and shapes and I love to play with that in mind creating abstract encounters in my paintings.
I always feel passionate by the idea of creating a new piece, from something’s that’s within me, and that can affect someone else in a positive way. Inspiring destinies, design, fashion, travel and space for dreams and new goals are all things that inspire me and boost my energy.
Tell us a bit about your creative process ?
I start with sketches, composing different shapes and colors until a composition catches my attention.
Then I start working on my canvas, building it up with different layers of colors, working almost exclusively with acrylic and brushes. I take a break, two steps back, deciding what to change and what to keep until I find a balance, and I’m satisfied with the result. I love to work on big canvases, that’s when I feel the most comfortable and free. I feel proud listening to myself and what I believe in and not letting doubt or fear shape my path.
How has this year changed your creativity or how you see the world changing moving forward?
When then pandemic started, I was already in a change at the time. I had quit my job as an Art Director for a luxury company to only work with my art and freelance projects. 2020 did not change my life drastically, but as for many of us, we suddenly had to slow down, change our rhythm and see life from a different angle, which is often a good thing.
It turned out to be a good year creatively for me, the pieces fell into their places and I found the time and inspiration to develop my artwork in a way that I believe in and where I feel perfectly at home.
