Right away Hanna Peterson confesses that she is not good at putting her ideas into words: “I have never been the best with words, but when I paint I can somehow mediate thoughts, experiences, and feelings that are circulating inside of me,” she says. And what she might lack in way of articulating herself, she makes up for in her creative expression.

The soft, yet saturated colours in The Daydreamer Collection take on a dreamlike atmosphere that is portrayed in the shape of the human body. To Hanna Peterson, the different angles of the body are what captured her interest in the creation of her recent collection. Translating the human form and combining it with colours and patterns is Peterson’s way of expressing herself: “Whether the motif might be abstract or figurative – when I get something down on a canvas or a piece of paper something is released from me and I can move on.”

Looking For Patterns

With a background in pattern design, the Swedish artist Hanna Peterson has a keen eye for patterns and textures. It is a craftsmanship and a knowledge that has stayed with Peterson even when she has turned to working as an artist. “I love the process of making a pattern. To find a good flow within the print and to succeed with the repetition,” she tells and admits to being a bit of a nerd when it comes to pattern design. “Every time I see a wallpaper I search through it to find where the pattern starts and ends.”

In The Daydreamer Collection, the figures are all draped in some sort of textile and the slightly translucent nature of the paint reveals the materiality of the paper underneath. This makes the impression of the patterned textiles and the motif as a whole seem even more vivid.

Each piece in the collection ties in with the rest, making the five art prints an interconnected art constellation as well as being independent works. The common thread amongst them is the choice of colour and the focus on the textures of each brushstroke.

The Textures Of Dreams

The figures portrayed in The Daydreamer Collection are all slightly absentminded in their expression like they are deeply immersed in thought. A state of mind the artist often finds herself in. 

Peterson describes herself as a thinker. She tells that she reflects on everything that she meets in her surroundings. But those thoughts can quickly turn bitter: “I think that humans often take life a bit too serious. Myself included,” Peterson says and continues: “Instead I try to turn thoughts into daydreams. Then life becomes more fun because dreams are so allowing and motivating.“

Letting herself be guided by her dreams, Hanna Peterson has achieved seeing her own pattern design on the Copenhagen Fashion Week runway. Now, working as an artist and creative designer, Peterson continuously tries to create art that ignites dreams. In her work she lets the abstract and the figurative meet, leaving space for the viewers to add on their own thoughts and dreams.

“The best part about daydreaming is that no certain equipment or skill is needed. Everyone can dream and since dreams don’t have limits – why not dream big?”