In connection with a donation to the museum, we are delighted to showcase the playful and inviting visual world of illustrator Kjell Ivan “KIA” Anderson (1935–2017). The exhibition features a selection of Anderson’s picture books and newspaper illustrations from his extensive career, with a focus on works from the 1960s and 1970s. The display offers nostalgia and recognition from a time of vibrant patterns, flowing drawings, and imaginative stories.
His own and others’ stories
From the 1960s to the 1980s, Anderson worked extensively with children’s books. Among his well-known works are En elefant (1969) and Mannen med den rutiga rocken (1971). Anderson illustrated both his own and others’ stories but preferred to work with both text and image to freely create the pictures he envisioned. He often started by creating a whimsical drawing, which he then expanded into a full book.
Femina, Swedish Television, and Christmas Calendar
Using ink, watercolor, crayons, and markers, Anderson created bold and colorful images filled with joyful energy. He also worked for advertising agencies, newspapers, and magazines, including Femina. In his magazine illustrations, he experimented more with form, while his picture books were more narratively driven. His drawings (some turned into animations) appeared in productions for the Swedish public television company, such as Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter (1973–1977) and the Christmas calendar Stjärnhuset (1981).
Anderson grew up outside Karlstad and studied illustration and graphic design at the Slöjdföreningen School (now HDK) in Gothenburg from 1951 to 1958. He later became a teacher at the school, teaching these subjects from 1981 to 1991.
The exhibition of “KIA” will be on display at Teckningsmuseet from October 5, 2024, to January 26, 2025.