Stina Wirsén Hedengren, Swedish author and illustrator, born 1968 in Älvsjö, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden. Stina Wirsén, educated at Konstfack in Stockholm 1985–1992, was the in-house illustrator at Dagens Nyheter between 1990–2010. During this period she was the head of the papers illustration department for several years. After 2010 she’s been working as a freelance illustrator and author. Over the years she has received several awards for her illustrations. With her illustrations, Stina Wirsén often switches between different genres. That also applies to her children’s books; they vary in target group, genre, style and method. She’s been illustrating ABC-books for the youngest, anthologies, text- and picture books. She is married to Swedish graphic designer and art director Pompe Hedengren.
Selected assignments
Since 2000 Stina Wirsén holds lectures and workshops internationally. The focus is on children between the ages of 2-6 years. She’s been working with children and pictures/images in for instance Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Bologna, Umeå, Stockholm etc.
Åhléns City - A 25 meter wide, hand drawn, fashion illustration for the beauty section at the department store in central Stockholm. The illustration was drawn straight on to the Swedish handmade tiles at the tile factory in Askersund.
Stamps for the Swedish Post Office - A series of 8 stamps picturing creations by different Swedish fashion designers.
UNHuman Rights - A series of graphic illustrations of UN’s Human Rights applied on 14 miljon copies of the Swedish telephone directory. The series was also exhibited at the UN headquarters in New York during the 50-year anniversary of the Human Rights.
Save the Children, Sweden - both non-profit and commissioned work, e.g. illustrations to articles in their quarterly magazine BARN.
Google ”doodle” illustration on the theme diversity published/applied on Google first page worldwide on the Swedish National Day 2015.
Selected exhibitions
Sven-Harrys konstmuseum 2014 - Around the turn of this millennium there was an explosive progress on the Swedish fashion scene. The exhibition ”Svenskt Mode: 2000 – 2015” at Sven-Harrys Konstmuseum in Stockholm depicts the fast, esthetic and conceptual change during this eventful period of time with a big collection of key garments from Swedish fashion designers and fashion illustrations by Stina Wirsén and Liselotte Watkins.
Bror Hjorts Hus 2013 - Solo exhibition with the main focus on illustrations from children’s books, but also several fashion- and portrait illustration.
Svenska Ambassaden i Tokyo 2012 - A big Swedish design exhibition during Tokyo Design Week. A collaboration between the Swedish Institute, Svensk Form and the Swedish Embassy in Tokyo.
Nationalmuseum 2010 - The exhibition ”Handgjort”. An exhibition with focus on the hand drawn line. A dialog between Stina Wirsén’s illustrations and illustrations from the Swedish National Galley’s own collection, for instance work by Rafaell, Angelica Kauffmann, John Bauer, Antoine Watteau and Matthias Grünewald.
Konstnärshuset 2009 - Solo exhibition of reportage illustrations from Stockholm’s bar- and restaurant life.
