“I’m pretty passionate about pretty patterns,” reads Elizabeth Olwen’s Instagram bio. An understatement, judging by her feed. Born in Canada and based in Portugal, the print and pattern designer is driven by a desire to leave something beautiful behind. That something takes many forms, in her case: from decor to paper to fabric to bedding.
Describing her style as “fresh, whimsical, organic yet graphic, graceful and modern, with a nod to days gone by”, her patterns are often floral or based on nature. “Sometimes my work is incredibly minimal and simple, other times, quite complex,” she relayed in an interview with Ballpit Magazine. “I like to bury little hidden treasures in my work, little details that you only notice when you’ve taken time to really look at them.”
Her designs are very much inspired by the world around her, which includes the beautiful forests of Ontario, the pastel colors and tiles of Lisbon, and her cherished and plentiful travels abroad.
“Art has the potential to really move people, and therefore, I find art is full of hope,” says Olwen. “And on a far more superficial level, art just brings beauty to the everyday… and I feel we need that now more than ever.”
Take a look at some of her cheerful patterns:
