Emma Rytoft is one of ArtConnect’s Artists to Watch '23

With a focus on large-scale murals in public and private spaces, as well as works on paper and canvas, she creates magical scenes that invite the viewer to reflect on our place, as humans, in the universe. Painting details from her daily life; endless afternoons in front of a computer, fleeting moments of tranquility in a warm bubble bath, and including apparently unrelated objects, plants, and animals in these scenes, she addresses the concept that everything in the universe is one. Using bold black outlines and bright colors, she combines elements from surrealism with pop art sentiments such as irony and repetition to create her own language.

Rytoft has completed more than 20 murals in places such as Berlin, Malmö, Zürich, and Dubai. Her most recent projects include a 350 m2 mural covering the ground floor of an apartment building in Berlin and a mural for the street art gallery A-fence at Alexanderplatz. She has exhibited at galleries in London, New York, Shanghai, and Berlin and has worked on commissions for magazines such as Elle Décor. Her works are held in private collections around the world.

ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.

How would you describe your artistic style and what inspires your work?

Bold black outlines and bright colors form the backbone of my work. I combine elements from surrealism with pop art sentiments such as irony and repetition to create my own language. Taking inspiration from my daily life and my own feelings in ordinary moments, I create dreamlike, alternate realities where human figures, often with their heads replaced by clouds, plants, or animal faces, exist in vibrantly enigmatic settings.

Since the birth of my daughter in 2021, pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare have become prominent themes in my work. I am deeply inspired by the intense emotionality of becoming and being a mother.

How has your work evolved over time?

I have been painting consistently for the past 20 years, and my work has grown up with me. I have a Master's of Architecture, and my early work is influenced by strong lines and geometry of architectural drawing. For almost ten years, I painted undulating cityscapes merging with faceless human forms. An expression of my situation as I lived a fast-paced, lonely life, first in London and then in Shanghai.

In 2012, when I came to Berlin, my work took on a different character, and I moved away from the cityscape structures to focus more on the human form and our place in the world order. I have always made very personal work, and though the black outlines and bold colors have remained a constant since I was a child, as I experience more and learn more about what it means to be a woman in today’s world, I feel my work arriving at a greater maturity with every passing day.

Watching myself grow through my work is incredibly inspiring, and I look forward to seeing where life will take me next.

What message or emotion do you hope to convey through your art?

I hope to convey a sense of wonder and joy. My works are lighthearted upon first sight and encourage the viewer to pause and smile. I wish to trigger childhood memories and bring back the magic of innocence. I aim to challenge the role of rational intelligence as superior and to encourage the viewer to follow their feelings.

My latest paintings encourage reflection on women's fundamental role in humanity's survival. They highlight the resilience required to bring new life to this world and celebrate the power of the female body and spirit.

Can you talk about a specific piece or series that holds a special significance to you?

Last summer, I painted seven canvases based on a series of sketches I made at the hospital, the day after my daughter was born. My experience of being pregnant and giving birth was enormous, and I felt an incredibly strong need to capture these moments. To keep them alive and with me, and to share them. The arrival of a new life is such a dramatic and magical experience, I believe it deserves to be shown to the world in big, bold colors.

Focusing on the joy and the power, and the overwhelming nature of motherhood, I feel, is essential to humanity. We all need to be nurtured to survive, and mothers deserve to be seen and to be celebrated. As we move into a future of ever-increasing technological advances, the question of what it means to be human grows more prominent. Resting for a while with the force of a woman in labor can bring a glimpse of a connection to something greater than ourselves, of our place in the world order.

What does this work aim to touch on?

My Birth series, like all of my latest work, aims to encourage reflection on women's fundamental role in humanity's survival. They highlight the resilience required to bring new life to this world and celebrate the power of the female body and spirit. Giving birth has made me question our hyper-capitalist, quantified reality more than ever.

Modern society leaves little space for the profound nature of becoming a mother and often leaves new mothers feeling isolated and undervalued. By painting about my experience of becoming a mother and being a new mother, I hope to draw attention to the gravity of the task. To carve out space for mothers in the art world and the world at large. I am a painter and I am a mother, being a mother is central to my life and therefore central to my work. My feelings as a mother are my greatest inspiration.

What is your process for creating a new piece of art?

I carry a sketchbook with me and make quick drawings whenever a feeling comes over me. I usually make ten to fifteen sketches on the same idea until I have the image that I was looking for. I then go through my sketchbooks and choose the drawings that I want to explore further and turn into a painting. I paint with acrylic on canvas and my works grow through many layers of paint before arriving at a place that I am happy with.

How do you stay motivated and inspired in your artistic practice?

Drawing is my biggest motivator. I have always had a strong urge to draw. To draw what I see, but mainly what I cannot see or explain but feel knocking on my insides to get out, to take shape in the world outside.

Every drawing leads to the next, and I am following them to get to ever clearer versions of what my feelings are telling me. This is an exciting journey for me and the characters I paint are like old friends. Drawing gives me the greatest sense of freedom and I crave this feeling deeply. It is like an addiction that I am very grateful for.

How do you balance your artistic career with the business aspect of being an artist?

This is a learning curve and I am getting better and better at putting my sketchbook aside and focusing on the business side of things from time to time.

I put aside two mornings a week to focus on admin and outreach and website updates and, and, and.. I also try to take myself out of my shell and visit gallery openings at much as my schedule with my young daughter allows it.

How do you see your work fitting within the larger context of contemporary art?

My work is deeply personal and responds to the place of women and mothers in present-day society. I draw inspiration from philosophy, physics, and biology to tell stories of longed-for connections between individuals and their surroundings. The themes I consider touch on identity, feminism, capitalism, and alienation from nature. Using bold black outlines and bright colors, I combine elements from surrealism with pop art sentiments to create acrylic paintings on canvas.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists who are just starting out in their careers?

If you feel that you must make something, then that is the most important thing you can do. Don’t let anything stop you. You will find the way.

See more of Emma’s work

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