Perhaps a better title would have been “Cecilia Levy – Globetrotter, wife, mother, artist”

– Cecilia Levy is an amalgamation of many different things who believes that “In the words of German techno group Scooter: It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”

Levy entered this world in 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden. A self-proclaimed nomad, Levy says that “I’ve moved around a lot; we lived in the U.S and Indonesia during my childhood and as an adult I’ve lived in Israel, France and Switzerland. But I’ve always returned to Sweden.” Levy currently resides in a small medieval town of Sigtuna, just north of Stockholm, with her husband Mattias Adolffson (previously featured here!) their two daughters, Olivia and Rosa and a dog named Asta.

So what’s it like living in an artist’s household? According to Levy, it “isn’t glamorous, dramatic or romantic a la Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera – we are both too down-to-earth and practical – Swedish – for that”. Mattias and Levy do, however, share a studio at home so of course there is the inevitable exchange of ideas, inspiration as well as the hardships and pleasures that they experience on a daily basis. Though Levy says that she doesn’t believe they influence each other’s work, that “a good thing about living with another artist is being around someone that understands what you’re doing and why you’re doing it”.

The creative genes of their parents have, without a doubt, been passed down to their two girls. Levy says that both love being creative, albeit in different ways. One “writes extremely long, detailed, fantasy stories” whilst the other has just “discovered the fine art of poetry”. Despite this affinity to their artistic parents, Levy maintains that “it wouldn’t surprise me one bit[...] if they became just the opposite to us”. “They can become whatever they want. As long as they’re happy and content, I’m happy,” says Levy.

Levy gained an MFA in Graphic Design from The School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg, studied bookbinding for a year in addition to study at a number of preparatory art schools. She proudly remarks that she “love[s] being a student – if it was possible I’d be one forever”. Nowadays, she gathers inspiration from a variety of different places and mediums, stating that nature, as well as countless blogs, museums and galleries and the students she teaches in art and design schools provide the greatest source of inspiration for her.

“My style isn’t that obvious, I like to experiment and try out new techniques”. Though Levy admits to having a fondness for self portraits, her “morning exercise”, her personal project, People I never knew I knew is a very special project. “I wanted to draw faces, characters. For inspiration, I took one of my old yearbooks…the faces felt very familiar, as if I actually knew these people.” Levy “became so inspired with all these personalities – what have become of them? Where were they now?” One day, if she acquires enough, Levy says she hopes to assemble them into her own, decidedly different, yearbook.

Like any freelance artist, Levy revels in having the freedom “to do what I want to and when” and is currently working on a hand bound books for a local shop in her town as well as several personal projects.

Check out some of her amazing work here:

http://cecilialevy.blogspot.com (Regularly updated, keep an eye on this blog!)

www.cecilialevy.com

www.flickr.com/photos/cecilia_levy/

All the way from Ha Noi, Vietnam comes the fresh, young talent, of 21 year old graphic artist Le Thanh Tung.

Varying between traditional art and illustrations to Photoshop manipulation, Tung’s body of work is extensive and passionate -

“I love to let my designs violate the rules…and never let an idea stay just an idea, I bring it to life,” the vibrant young artist says.

Since 2006 Tung has been studying at Arena, one of Vietnam’s multimedia colleges and prior to this he had studied at Ha-Noi’s College of Art.  Of course, like most natural born artists, Tung has been illustrating and playing around in Photoshop long before any formal training came about.

Tung says he draws inspiration from “everything in my life” – be it people or buildings, the sky is the limit. But it is the “amazing and traditional” styles of Japanese artist Yuko Shimizu which provides him with the greatest creative stimulation. Tung says that “from the moment I saw her work [i thought] wow…impressive”.

Working at a small publishing house, and as a freelance artist, Tung has recently been commissioned by a small mobile game company and is currently working on a 2D game.

The freedom that comes with working as a freelance artist appeals greatly to Tung. Not only does it allow him to choose the assignments that interest him most and that are also good for his portfolio, but when he isn’t designing, Tung is able to spend his time either playing guitar or Nintendo DS.

So what’s his advice for up and coming artists? “Keep your mind creative, love and take an interest in all around you.” Oh the life of a freelance illustrator.

A special thanks to Le Thanh for letting us publish his impressive work. We look forward to seeing more from you soon!

To view Le Thanh Tung’s other work please visit.
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