Artist Hana Berggren

Hana Berggren is an illustrator living in Glasgow. Growing up in a Swedish household, Berggren was raised on artist and author Tove Jansson’s Moomins and the illustrations of John Bauer, both of which were significant influences on her.

Berggren has been painting since childhood and in later years started working with digital media alongside traditional ink and watercolour.

Having worked in pubs as a day job to support her illustration work for a decade, Berggren was able to leave hospitality to work as an illustrator full time in 2019 (but she still appreciates the art of making a good Bloody Mary). 

“Creating art that makes me laugh is my favourite thing to do, and I particularly enjoy building worlds with animals in various states of dress.”

DOGS: A painting of a park in the West End full of dogs. This little green outside of my flat has been my lockdown-escape for the past two summers, rarely packed with people but full of animals. Nearly every figure in the painting has a story, including my elderly neighbour drinking tinnies on his bench, a locally loved but silly kitten who was hit by a car earlier this year, and a dog called James. Gouache.

BBQ 2021: A painting of North Kelvin Meadow. The first time out with my pals since pre-covid, I painted this after a barbecue – looking around, it was cathartic to see everyone around me doing the same. I’ve littered little memories all around the painting.

Gouache.

SPRING OPOSSUM: A very small, cheerful spring opossum – an animal I’ve yet to meet and greet in person. Gouache.

TROLL MAIDEN: A lonely troll looking for her lost love. Songs and stories about trolls were a big part of my Swedish childhood. Watercolour.

WOOD PIGEONS: A painting of two wood pigeons on a spring evening. For years, these two wood pigeons use the same lamppost outside of my flat as a meeting point, rain or shine. Gouache.

STARTLED WREN: A fat wren inside a bush, experiencing a mild fright. Gouache.