What's with all the monkeys?

Customers keep asking me that very question.

It all started when I was 9 and my dad bought me the cutest stuffed animal. He promised to give me one item: it was either the monkey or a fishing pole that I'd been really wanting (yes I am female). As much as I longed for the fishing gear I couldn't help but staring into those beautiful brown plastic eyes.... and opted for my own hairy companion. That's exactly what he became. I named him Chitas and he traveled with me everywhere. While our family was on road trips I'd stick up just the monkey's head and wave his soft hand to our fellow vacationers. (This was before the obligatory safety belts, so me and my sister could be hanging upside down in the the backseat of our dads Saab if we wanted). I was never into dolls so perhaps that's why I became obsessed with the whole primate family. Chimps, lemurs, proboscis monkeys, you name it - I love'em all. Even though Chitas doesn't travel with me anymore, (I'm in my thirties after all), he does wait patiently in my closet. However, I still make make sure to pick up a cool "monkey something" in every country I visit. Some of my favorites are: 1 - The silver warrior with a removable sword in the back that I picked up in a small gift shop right outside the killing fields in Cambodia.

2 - The porcelain pill box I purchased on September 12th in Paris, where I got stranded for 4 days after the Twin Towers collapsed. My naive thought was that the white color would symbolize a peaceful resolution.

3 - The monkey bank which is one of the coolest pieces of contemporary artifacts that I own. I got it at the One of A Kind show in Chicago from the very talented Heather Hug.

Perhaps this is a small explanation to my fixation with monkeys. Since I started silk screening I have created three monkey images:

1 - The Baby Monkey with a moth. What's with the moth? People ask me all the time.... won't have space to share that story right now. Just ask me the next time you see me.

2 - The Top Hat Chimp. The apes are a lot more sophisticated than we give them credit for.

3 - My funny Tarsier. He cracks me up. When I first silk screened this little guy I loved him. He made me smile.

The cool thing is that there are tons of other monkey people out there. From having been a bad name, "monkey" is now a term of endearment many lovers call eachother or their not so hairy children. For those of you who'd rather have a monkey on your chest than or your back, there is an easy way to get your own monkey fix at http://www.evamay.com/tees.html.

16 years of a Swede life in Chicago

May 8th was the 16th anniversary since I took my suitcase and a couple of boxes with my favorite belongings to Arlanda, Stockholms airport, and made the move all the way to Chicago. I came on a student visa with dreams of learning the craft of fashion, and 16 years later I have my own boutique in the Andersonville area. It’s been an amazing journey, and I still enjoy my work where I can be creative on a daily basis and have an interaction with people who appreciate wearing my hats, scarves, bags and hand silk screened t-shirts. Sometimes I question the fact that I have stayed in Chicago so long, but I have figured out three reasons why I still love my Swede life so far away from “home”.

1 – the art community I have become a part of. I have plenty of fantastic friends whose support and understanding of the “artists way of life” help me feel connected to a culture and country I wasn’t born into.

2 - the beautiful lakefront. Stockholm is surrounded by water and I believe that I need the view, sound and feel of a large body of water close to my soul.

3 – the joy I feel from my art and fashion. It gives me a meaning every day to wake up to paint, sew, design, select colors and finish pieces that sooner or later find a new home to be enjoyed.

So, if you are up in my hood, specifically at 5643 N. Ashland, feel free to stop by and chat, or try on a really soft t-shirt, or play dress up with all the different hats I have on display. You just might get a feel of the Swede life in Chicago.