Elena Ho, the illustrator of Chilean Women

Elena, tell us a little about yourself...

My name is Elena Hohlberg, I am 26 years old and I am a designer and illustrator. I was born in Washington DC United States and since I can remember I have liked painting, drawing and crafts in general.

Where does your interest or passion for art come from?

It was my mom who was always in charge of keeping my creativity and that of my brothers running. In 2013 I went to study in Oslo, Norway for 6 months and then in 2015 I went again, this time to work in Melbourne, Australia for a year. In August 2016 I returned to Chile to dedicate myself fully to illustration and here I am.

What do you think is your favorite thing about being an illustrator?

What I like the most is being able to express myself non-verbally. It is another language that comes from a much less rational part of the brain and I love that, it is an emotional language. Every time I draw it is spontaneously and new, expressive and beautiful things come out that were not planned beforehand. Few things work like that. For me, drawing is a kind of catharsis, a therapy with myself that I think everyone should try.

What are your sources of inspiration?

The human body and emotions, I call it Emotional Anatomy. I am impressed by the body's ability to express and show what we feel and how withheld those feelings are, how immobile we can let our body be. I think that in my drawings I always try to unleash those emotions, making them graphic through the body, postures, expressions, metaphors, colors, spots, etc.

What has been your biggest fear or challenge?

I think it has been facing a blank piece of paper and that something is going to look "wrong" or "ugly", one of the most absurd fears, nothing will ever look good if you start judging it even before it exists. And my biggest challenges have been every time I say yes to something new; new technique, format, new clients, colors, ideas. But I think that experimenting and learning every day is essential to stay inspired.

A song to work...

Mermaids by Francisco Salas , makes me want to dance.

Someone you admire or follow their work...

I love Egon Schiele's art, it's very expressive. More current, the drawings of Frédéric Forest, say a lot with very little.

A book that you recommend?

I read very little, but from the little I have read I have liked "The Passion of Artemis" and "Gala Dalí".

What motivated you to make the Map of Women of Chile?

I love Chile from the start, it is a beautiful country in every way, its landscapes, its people, its customs, its mannerisms. And I think, it is full of strong, open-minded, happy, feisty, talented women. So, how not to rescue women who have done so much, who are part of our history. I would like to be an inspiration for all Chilean women today.

Photos by Rafa Roasenda .

To see or buy the Map of Chilean Women made by Elena Ho, click on the following photo: