Born into a family of artists, canvas and paint has been a natural part of Moa's life. “My mum, grandmother, uncle, brother and cousin, almost my entire family paints,” she says.

It started for real when Moa took art courses in L.A., which she combined with her studies in business and marketing. Then the pandemic hit. “L.A. had become a ghost town, and we weren’t allowed to go out,” Moa explains. During that time, she decided to return to her hometown of Helsingborg, where shewas born and raised.

One sunny day, her mum stood ready with canvas and her old painting kit to cheer up the gloomy and empty atmosphere that the pandemic had brought. Together, they could lose themselves in painting, an activity Moa now can't live without.

“My mum, grandmother, uncle, brother and cousin, almost my entire family paints”

  • An artwork in progress

“You can look at my work and understand where I am emotionally,” Moa clarifies. Her beautiful creations follow her hormonal cycle, feelings and mood. Now, with summer around the corner, Moa feels energized and paintings become more charming, with lots of flowers and fruits in pastel colors, everything with a touch of femininity like the painting called “Fruktstund”.

“I am addicted to Halloween; I love that time of year. It's dark and cozy,” she stated. She explains how her paintings in autumn become deeper and somewhat cooler, featuring elements like a big red chili, Coca-cola can or simply darker colors. When Moa explains this I can truly follow her explanation as I immerse myself in her art.

“You can look at my work and understand where I am emotionally”

During the process Moa changes direction a lot. "I think I'm finished, but then a new idea strikes me, and I just have to start over," Moa explains. Each version of the painting holds a piece of the journey, a snapshot of her thoughts at that moment. "You cannot imagine how many ideas and different objects there are under the top layer of the original paintings," Moa says. When you buy one painting, you're actually getting the time, energy, and countless ideas for many more.

"You cannot imagine how many ideas and different objects there are under the top layer of the original paintings"

As we speak, Moa has been experiencing an art block for a while, a natural part of creative professions. "It's really frustrating,” she adds. To clear her mind, she strolls through the city, entering every store that sells perfumes, which is an obsession of hers.

The state between waking and sleeping is when inspiration and ideas often strike Moa. “I hit my partner eagerly while lying in bed, asking him to text me whatever I'm thinking about,” Moa says with a smile. “It's lucky he usually falls asleep after me.”

Words like garden, table in center, orange, fluffy cake is what Moa sees when she wakes up next morning. “I have thousands of text messages from my boyfriend filled with random words, it looks like he's the crazy one, but it's actually me,” Moa laughs.

  • The painting "Jävligt gott vin"

In the early 20th-century apartment, which was once a bustling shop, Moa's studio is located just one stair down. She shares the space with her partner. While in the studio, they rarely speak, both focused on their hobby. “The studio, which used to be the pantry, unfortunately lacks inspiration,” she says. Sometimes she goes upstairs to the big windows in the bedroom, finding a moment of peace, watching the wind grab the trees, before returning to her studio to continue her piece of art.

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Author Johanna Karlqvist