On a sunny autumn day in October, we visited Jennie Kombokis, formerly Eklund, at her studio in Malmö. She works as an artist, illustrator, animator and designer. We talked about how her ideas take shape, what a day in the studio looks like and what she needs to feel comfortable and work well there.
Jennie looks for the human and unexpected in her work. She makes room for intuition, presence and personal expression, even when technology makes perfection possible.
Her path into illustration began with a year studying graphic design in Florence. She then studied illustration at Berghs in Stockholm and visual communication at Malmö University. Today, her work spans commissions for companies and private clients.
When Jennie talks about her work, she often returns to problem solving. A brief might specify the feeling an image should convey, where it will appear or how it needs to work in print and digital formats. Within those boundaries, she uses her visual language to make an idea clear. Sometimes a still image is the answer. At other times, animation adds another dimension.
She finds inspiration in art exhibitions, books, TV series, travel and conversations with people. Those impressions come back with her to the studio and become part of what she creates there.
The studio is also where she spends many hours at her computer or drawing table. When we ask Jennie what she needs from this space, she talks about light and a relaxed atmosphere. “But you also have to be able to sit really comfortably,” she says. She also values variety: being able to move between tasks and change her working position throughout the day.
A Malmstolen Focus R4, upholstered in Bardal 970 from Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik, now has a place in the studio. For Jennie, who moves between her computer and drawing table, being able to change her sitting position matters. “Now I feel I can work for much longer,” she says in the interview. She also says that, after a day at work, she no longer feels the same tension in her neck and lower back as before. Comfortable seating and the ability to vary her position are important parts of a workspace that works for her.
Jennie’s collaboration with Malmstolen began with a different kind of work: creating illustrations for Malmstolen.
The illustrations took Malmstolen’s “Empower Healthier Workdays” as their starting point. Jennie wanted to show the chair as a starting point for a life in motion. In her illustrations of the chair models, she expressed that idea through lively brushstrokes. For the tote bag, she chose a more narrative image to tell the same story in another way.
Our visit to Malmö gave us a closer look at Jennie’s process. It also showed how movement is present both in her illustrations and in her working day at the studio, where light, variety and a good place to sit all support her work.
Thank you, Jennie, for welcoming us into your studio. Explore more of her work at jenniekombokis.com.