Clara Dackenberg
Illustrator
Sweden, Northern Europe
Clara Dackenberg is a Swedish illustrator and visual artist. She studied in Gothenburg and Stockholm before debuting as a picture book illustrator. Her work has been chosen for the Contemporary Swedish Illustrators exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
Q&A
Tell us something interesting about yourself:
My favorite pastime, besides carving miniatures of tiled stoves in green birch wood, is drawing single frame comics where my boyfriend appears in the shape of a squirrel.
Current job title:
Illustrator
How would you describe your identity?
Swedish female.
Tell us your favourite medium for reading:
On paper, always!
Tell us your favourite location for reading:
Reading outside in the summer, on the rocks, by a lake. Otherwise in bed or on a sofa, preferably with company, but in silence.
Book title:
The Playdate.
Favourite character or moment from the book – and why?
The mother of the main character. She doesn't say much in the book, but in the images we follow her through her working day, cleaning at Henry's house. It's a silent role, but an intriguing one.
What themes or messages does your book raise?
Friendship bridging over social and economical inequality.
How would you describe your artistic or writing style in three words?
Analog, collage-based, naïve.
Materials and techniques used for this book’s illustrations:
Watercolor, gouache, collage and pencil.
Favourite illustration – and why?
The endpapers – they reflect the two different residential areas of the children in the book. I like how these pages frame the book and how they, in a subtle way, point out the different living conditions of the two friends.
