Jenny Mörtsell is an illustrator who is taking the fashion world by storm, one client at a time. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Mörtsell went through childhood with a pencil in hand. After completing high school, Mörtsell went on to study printmaking, illustration, and graphic design at Konstfack University. (She graduated from Konstfack in 2004 with a Masters degree in Fine Arts.) Since then, Mörtsell has worked for the likes of Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Whyred, Diesel, and Phillip Lim, among others.

Mörtsell first caught my eye when I ran across one of her images on Flickr as I was doing research on an illustration project. I was immediately drawn to her series of portraits, not simply because they are photo-realistic, but because they go above and beyond the constraints of photorealism and become another art form entirely.

The true beauty in Mörtsell’s work lies in the void between visible and invisible. Oftentimes what an artist chooses to leave out of an image is almost more important than what s/he chooses to include. I appreciate Mörtsell’s work because of that void, because I can ask questions and not get an immediate answer.

Mörtsell is currently based in New York City and is represented by Jed Root, Inc.

 

 

 

 

—————————

Educational Resource:

MFA Degrees can lead to numerous opportunities in creative writing, performing or studio arts, and art
criticism.