MUNTHE ART MONDAY: CAMILLA ENGSTRÖM

Instagram: @camillamengstrom
Website: camilla-engstrom.com

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Camilla Engstrom. I'm an artist from Stockholm, Sweden currently based in LA. I'm mostly focused on painting right now. However, I'm eager to venture into sculpture and film. I like to paint landscapes but how I picture them when I meditate with my eyes closed. Finding inspiration by spending time outside in nature is important. My mind always feels clearer when I get back in the studio afterwards. I like soft shapes with a lot of comforting colors. It's more about how nature feels than what it actually looks like.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

My work is very soft and feminine and sometimes cute. I had to fight to be taken seriously as an artist. I was taught to be a good listener and that also taught me to learn how to listen to my body and my intuition. My work is very intuitive.

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

Yayoi Kusama because she helped pave the way for Asian artists in the West and Georgia O'Keeffe because of her beautiful landscapes and inspiring desert lifestyle. Mary Herbert because she's an amazing artist and person. I love to listen to what she has to say. Her mind and thought processes are incredibly inspiring to me.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a female artist?

I guess the struggle sometimes is to be taken seriously and not to be underestimated, talked down to and priced fairly. Part of the issue is to learn how to see my own value as a woman and not waste my time convincing something someone's not ready to see in me yet.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

An inner joy and calmness within themselves. I want people to feel soothed by my work. I hope that the colors I use can bring a dose of energy to the viewer. I’m a school dropout and a self-taught artist which I hope will inspire people to take the leap themselves. Anything is possible if you want it. It took me seven years to start living of my work and I don’t regret any of it. All the struggles and mistakes made me a better person.