Travel through the seasons with these exclusive watercolours from artist Erik Jeor

As is the case with most Swedes, nature is integral to artist Erik Jeor. The Swedish painter, who grew up in Örebro and was later educated at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm as well as Beaux Arts in Paris, spends almost every weekend, often with his family, in the great outdoors. “People often refer to two types of outdoorsmen: those who want to make a camp, settle down, and those who are nomads, who like to keep moving. I am the latter,” Jeor says. “I enjoy the act of movement, experiencing nature and seeing as much as possible.”

Having gone through many stages in his practice, Jeor recently began painting beautifully intricate watercolours, depicting locations throughout Sweden. However, the colour scheme varies, welcoming interpretations of mood amidst the very distinct Nordic light. When Vogue Scandinavia welcomed the artist to portray the region’s four seasons, Jeor excitedly agreed. “Creating these unique paintings for Vogue Scandinavia wasn’t a stretch,” he says, adding with a laugh, “I even love fashion, or I mean, I love gear.”

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We meet in his basement studio in Årsta, tucked away from the hustle of the inner city. Jeor drives an advanced bicycle with space for both his children at the back. He explains how, given that Stockholm, like Venice, is surrounded by water, “We are exposed, open to the elements. You must dress according to nature; all the water and wind has an impact”.

Lately, Jeor's interest in “gear“ has peaked. “It’s a completely other world, and you can really geek out. It’s not fashion per se, but at the same time, it kind of is,” he says. “It’s a whole industry, ultralight outdoor gear... and I must confess I am slightly obsessed.” If outdoor gear is the gateway to fashion for the artist, his awareness of Vogue started much earlier. “My wife Elvire [also an artist], is French and reads French Vogue. But even before we met, I attempted to make my own magazine once. A Vogue, actually.”

He started making the mockup around the time he was accepted to the exchange programme at Beaux-Arts. “I never finished though,” he adds. Regardless of his early publication ambitions, Jeor concludes that “the opportunity to share my work and create something so specific for the magazine has been wonderful, if not a little daunting”. By opening his practice to a wider audience, we gain a real glimpse into the very essential dialogue Jeor has with the nature around him. “An artist I have been thinking about is Keith Haring, not in reference to time or even my practice, but rather how he collaborated freely with publications on various issues,” he says, referring to the iconic New York artist. “He had a very clear, often political message.’

Jeor spends most weekends in the nature reserves surrounding Stockholm, in the archipelago, alone or with his family, paddling a sea kayak or going long-distance trekking. When alone, he takes advantage of the solitude, often returning to the same location several times, revisiting and re-examining the terrain, as he’s done in the works commissioned here. He sketches onsite, taking pictures of each location several times over, capturing the light at different times of day, before bringing these various impressions back to his studio where he starts painting.

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The scenes depicted throughout the new suite of paintings for the magazine are of cherished places in and around Stockholm. Although Jeor is adamant that his paintings “are free from exact locations”, he is happy to share the places that have inspired the commission. Winter 1 and 2 was painted with the backdrop of Gisslingö’s most northern rock formations in mind. The Spring diptych is inspired by the Swedish archipelago’s most southern outpost, Landsort. The Summer paintings are influenced by the winding forest paths surrounding Stensjön, a lake in Tyresta National Park.

Finally, displays traces of Ängsö National Park. “It’s an idyllic place,” Jeor explains. “It allows you to reminisce of a different time, with all the floral splendour that Roslagen’s archipelago is known for. Well preserved, rare and genuine.” The possibility of bringing these enduring impressions to life through his work is an element of his practice that Jeor cherishes. Infused with the very personal experience of growth, a relative rebirth takes place when he’s alone, as captured on these pages. Magic ensues.

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Jeor refers to the seasons, which reveal themselves through visual and temperature cues, as time. How does the artist reference time in his work? Jeor smiles, mumbles something along the lines of “time stops while painting”, and then slaps his knee, laughing. For Jeor, it’s all about the light. In the Nordic region, our deference to – and the absence of – light has an enormous impact. Growing up in a religious community, music was, and still is, of significant importance to Jeor. The music he plays, often religious, allows for the artist to express himself in other ways than with a brush. There is a strong musical component to Jeor’s painting; a melodic flow in which the water and pigment meander through the canvas, a dance emerging as the colours intertwine.

In the paintings Jeor created for this issue, an unblemished, almost holistic quality envelopes each page. “Even though work can be stressful at times, especially when I’m on a deadline, the act of painting is soothing, timeless,” he says. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter follow one another seamlessly, in step, like notes of a song. The bond between music and time are not lost on the artist. “Music is in a sense timeless, repetitive but at the same time the opposite of stagnant,” he says. “Like the seasons, I guess.”