Through his art, Emil invites us to feel ourselves first; and then to meet the other. Playing with the mixture and contrast of intense colors, on large surfaces, with different textures and movements, the author manages to make the invisible visible..

“Each painting is a mystery in which I not only discover a visual image, but the spontaneous expression of my inner world.”

Emil remembers that as a child he spent many hours painting at his maternal grandparents’ house, and he used to lose track of time in each creation. The enjoyment during the process was so great that when he finished a drawing he couldn’t wait to show it to others. From his innocence he just wanted to share how much he had enjoyed it..

He was born and raised in Linköping (Sweden), a city that he describes as small, quiet and in the middle of nature. Surrounded by his family and friends, most of his activities took place between his studies and the practice of Karate – sport that forged a large part of his personality. During those years he learned to adapt to his culture and to follow the rules of Swedish society to the letter. However, his sexuality was something that was not in harmony within himself; and over the years that began to make too much noise. If it hadn’t been for “being gay”, he would have stayed in Sweden where he had a comfortable, safe life with no major challenges.

At the age of 17, he traveled to Costa Rica as an exchange student to learn Spanish, enjoy sunny days and immerse himself in the Spanish-speaking culture. He also shared with us that he chose that destination because he needed to “extend time and avoid coming into contact with his inner world” because at that moment it overwhelmed him too much.

In 2013 he took a course in International Development Cooperation at the Internationella Skolorna Foundation, which is part of Folkuniversitetet, in Barcelona (Spain) and did his internship in the city of Santiago de Chile (Chile). Later, he studied a philosophical degree in Human Rights at the University of Lund (Sweden), following the desire to bring about change in a world that he perceived to be unfair.

During his time as a university student he began to explore the world of painting in a self-taught way and made his first paintings, some of them are treasured by his mother in his house in Linköping (Sweden).

From a very young age he had the feeling of “having done this many times”, the feeling of having lived a human experience pursuing the perfect life; but this time he knew deeply that his happiness was beyond, and that this life was to discover that.

During this journey he was finding different tools that allowed him to delve deeper into himself. The paradox was that the more he probed, the more uncomfortable his experience became. It came as a great surprise to him to discover that there was great fear within himself, as if his “soul was frozen in the void.” He had learned to be “a good boy” at the cost of disconnecting from his own emotions.

Acknowledging his own fears allowed him to reconnect with himself, and with others. It seemed that in order to get to what he was looking for it was necessary to enter into what he was not looking for: fears, shame, guilt, doubts.

At the beginning of 2022, he naturally painted again, this time in the kitchen of his apartment in Barcelona (Spain). The support of his partner was very important to him at that time. One thing led to another, and despite the fear and uncertainty, he decided to reduce his hours at work by 50% to dedicate himself to painting. Without much room for questioning or excuses, he decided to explore his own inner world through abstract art, using acrylic colors, different mediums and tools.

It is not worth disconnecting from me to please others, it is too great a sacrifice.

This year (2023), with the support of his parents, the company Sivenius Corporation S.L. was founded in Barcelona, opening up new possibilities in his adventure as an artist.

His first exhibition was a great experience for him to trust himself again. It has been a great success because he was able to see that his artwork conveys what he feels inside when painting, a lot of joy, color and life..

For Emil creativity is the very experience of being alive, and his paintings are a reminder that no one really knows who they are, and that we are discovering ourselves at every moment.

Recognizing that we are in a constant process of self-creation and self-discovery is an act of great courage in every human being, and that is the magic of being alive!