Riikka Laakso had to warm up to the idea of becoming an illustrator. Growing up in Finland, her older sister – who’s also an illustrator – had a big influence on her development. “When I was a child we did a lot of drawing together,” Laakso shared in an interview with AIGA Eye on Design.
But when it came to her studies, Laakso took a small detour, studying graphic design first. “After [receiving] my Bachelor of Arts, I moved to Berlin and that’s when I started to work hard on my drawing skills,” she says. “I was so happy about my decision that my euphoria helped me survive the difficult time after graduation when I didn’t have a real job. I worked on personal projects and, for the first time, felt free by drawing.”
Now, having earned her Masters in Illustration at the Berlin University of Arts, she’s fully committed to her artistic calling. A member of the German illustration collective “Parallel Universe,” Laakso also publishes her own zines and books in small editions.
“It’s a challenge to tell a story or to translate an idea and, at the same time, give the viewers enough space for their own thoughts and interpretations,” she says. But judging by her zesty illustrations – she’s putting up a good fight.
