My name is Sofia Gullstén (b. 2000) and I’m a Swedish self-taught artist based in Copenhagen. I work figuratively and expressively in watercolor and oil paint.

I work in watercolour because of the immediacy and unpredictability. My portraits explore introspective and quiet emotions, and the directness of the medium allows me to be selective and express the essence of what I see while observing.

To evoke feelings of tension and vulnerability, I choose colours like deep violets, soft pinks, and greens. What I leave unpainted is just as important, and I make use of the cotton paper’s lightness. I start with quick, intuitive strokes of deep violet-maroon with large brushes, creating textures and imperfections. Then adding a light mix of viridian and potter’s pink and let them blend softly with the dark tones - this blend of pigments gives an intricate granulation simulating the variations of skin when seen upclose.

Through my portraits, I capture the essence of the person and what I envision while observing them - the quiet emotions, and the beauty often overlooked by the everyday eye.