Maja Säfström tells it like it is. Her distinctively quirky style of illustration together with an unapologetic attitude makes for a humorous effect. “You are totally average,” reads one “inspiring” caption, “I wish I was a cat,” states another.
Halfway between caricatures and comics, her illustrations often include speech bubbles. “I think the speech bubbles are a very important part of my work,” stated Säfström in an interview with Lake. “I love combining text with drawings. I often experience something in life and make a drawing of that.”
Each piece begins with a thin outline drawn using a pencil, after which the final drawing is made with a fineliner. “I have been drawing for as long as I can remember,” admits Säfström. “I drew a lot when I was a kid. I had a few years in high school where I thought I was really bad. Then I started studying architecture at university and found myself drawing the scenes around the buildings with MUCH more enthusiasm than the actual houses. Well, one thing led to another!”
The transition from architecture to drawing was almost natural. “I used to work as an architect and illustrating was something I did in my time off work,” says Säfström. “Now that it is my full-time job, I realize, it is much less meditative. Because now the drawings are often commissioned, which is a bit different from just drawing whatever you feel like. It is the best job in the world though. Being an illustrator! My new hobby is taking care of my plants at home.”
Follow her Instagram page for more of her witty observations.
