Bright, vivid colors in Erica Jacobson's first wallpaper collection

With In My Mind collection, Erica Jacobson lets us into her exuberant material world, filled with colourful patterns that radiate joy and energy. Her intuitive sense of colour and form has become her distinguishing trait and her characteristic expression emerges in every wallpaper pattern.

Photo: Sofia Runarsdotter

Bright, vivid colors and graphic elements have become Erica Jacobson's hallmark.
She finds inspiration throughout the entire world from art, books, and people to fabric patterns and typography. She describes her new collection - In My Mind collection as playful, warm, and full of energy. We met up with Erica Jacobson to ask her some questions about the wallpaper collection and the creative process behind the creation.

What does your creative work process look like?
I usually go to art exhibitions and look at a lot in books and some things on the Internet when I start a job; I might need to read up on the subject I am going to work with. After that, I put it together in a mood board to focus on a feeling in both form and manner. Then I make a lot of drawings by hand, using only black pen and black gouache. The drawings are scanned and then I color them digitally.

How come you start by drawing in black and white?
I want it to feel handmade because every brush stroke and pen stroke should get a living expression.
I make several black and white drawings to give myself a quantity to choose from. Most often it is the sketchier drawings that are good; they are a little unconscious. If you try to correct it and do it "properly," it is easy to lose the feeling in the expression. If I want to use color directly, silk screening is my favorite technique because I can fill large surfaces and shapes with color.

Where do you get your inspiration?
I am inspired primarily by art, travel, colors, and designs. Exciting people, vegetation, silk screening, and typography. Right now I am looking at Vogue covers from the 1930s and fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's collections during the 1980s. Artists such as Matisse, Sonia Delaunay, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Marina Abramovic also inspire me.

Photo: Sofia Runarsdotter

A colorful expression has become your hallmark. How do you select different color combinations?
I do not think that much about using strong colors, it is simply something I am drawn to. Before each assignment I set up a color palette with several combinations so as not to lock myself into something I usually use. I am often inspired by a cut-out of a work of art, a fabric pattern where two or three colors meet. Color makes me happy and inspired. I usually use a limited number of colors in the same image to get an effective, cohesive, and graphic feel.   

Why is color so important to you?
If I give the short answer, it's because I love color. It is difficult to explain, but my eyes are drawn to strong colors, in the choice of clothing and in interior decorating. Life is much more fun when you are surrounded by bright colors. I want my work to give off some type of energy.

What does illustration mean to you?
I think illustration is much more important than it is given credit for. Art and culture such as music, theater, and dance create a good energy in our society. In these politically turbulent times, positive forces are needed more than ever.

Tell us more about the inspiration behind your wallpaper patterns in the collection.
What feeling do you want to convey?
I worked on a theme with dreams and symbolism when I created this wallpaper collection. There are so many symbols that affect us as humans. I want the impression to be nice and inviting, with warm colors filled with desire and energy. There are so many shapes and patterns in nature that are implausibly beautiful. For example, the idea of the wall mural, In Bloom, is that you can sow a seed or an idea, and after a little time and patience, it blooms.

Is there any special era or interior design period that inspired you for this collection?
I was inspired by retro, vintage, 1960's aesthetics, and 1980's New York style.

Do you have any personal motto or words that you live by?
Here and now. I try to peel away the unimportant things in life and shake off conventions that can be limiting, but it is not always that easy.

Playing Cards I
In Bloom Blue
Palm Trees

Here you can find all motifs from Erica Jacobson’s wallpaper collection.