Norwegian illustrator Esra Roise finds inspiration in the seemingly unimportant everyday situations, observing the people around her, as well as the fashion industry and pop-culture in general. “I find inspiration everywhere, really,” she admitted in an interview Artflakes. “In people around me, popular culture, books, youth culture, magazines, and music, but the fashion industry and the internet are my absolute go-to sources for neverending inspiration.”
Indeed, her illustrations seem to be in direct dialogue with the fashion industry, with her work mostly focusing on fashionable women and the ways in which their styling and makeup inform their identity. Loose and energetic, her illustrations are as much playful as they are reflective.
Based in Oslo, Roise has been drawing since she was little, and has formal training from The Einar Granum School of Art, and a BA in Visual Communication from The Academy of The Arts in Oslo, Norway. “I’ve been drawing since I was just a little girl, and it has always been something that has gives me lots of joy, and I’ve never really had any other plan,” she shared. “Drawing has always been the only thing I’ve really really wanted to do, so I guess I’ve never really pursued anything else with the same passion. I love my job!”
Currently working as a freelance illustrator, her notable clients include VOGUE, Stella McCartney, Burberry, and Urban Outfitters to name a few. “I’ve been lucky enough to be graced with awesome clients that often let me play around with the given tasks, and just do my thing, which I very much enjoy,” she says.
Take a look at some of the finished results:
