About

I’m a watercolor artist based in Norrtälje, Sweden. My work centers around finding meaning in the overlooked—the everyday moments that don’t stand out at first glance, but are significant if we take the time to look closer. Through art, we can notice the remarkable in the ordinary and have a chance to experience life with deeper appreciation, awe and curiosity.

From Dream to Reality

I started painting watercolors in 1994 and had my first exhibition at 14. Growing up in a small working-class town in northern Sweden, becoming a professional artist felt like an impossible dream. The art world was distant and the path to becoming an artist obscure.

After earning a degree in art education, I kept painting as a side practice for many years. But eight years ago, I decided to take the leap and make watercolor painting my full-time profession. Since then, I’ve had the honor of creating both commissioned work as well as a number of exhibits around the country.

Today, my life revolves around art. I work from my studio at our smallholding outside Norrtälje, northeast of Stockholm, where I live with my husband and two kids.

Being an artist is an entrepreneurial endeavor as much as a creative one. There’s no established path to follow. You need to embrace uncertainty, navigate complexity, and constantly create opportunities to connect with people through your art. It demands a lot, but rewards even more.

The Nobel Prize Commission

Between 2022 and 2024, I was commissioned by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to create the artwork for the Nobel Prize Diplomas in Chemistry, Physics, and the Economy Prize. Translating each laureate’s groundbreaking research into visual form was an extraordinary creative challenge—one that made me reflect on the similarities and connections between the worlds of science and art.

The Slussen Project

For the past five years, I’ve been documenting the massive reconstruction of an area called Slussen in central Stockholm. What began as a side project during the pandemic has evolved into a major body of work exploring the construction sites and the people that build our cities and societies.

In fall 2026, this work will be exhibited at Karby Gård in Täby, Stockholm. The exhibition will showcase how I’ve captured the evolving landscape of Slussen through watercolor—a medium not typically associated with concrete, steel, and construction machinery. I find the contrast between the rough materiality of the scenes and the delicacy of the watercolor medium fascinating and enticing.

The project represents my interest in depicting scenes that rarely find their way into traditional art spaces, finding interest in places where you usually wouldn’t see topics for art.

Recent Projects

In 2025, I illustrated the season program for Malmö Opera, creating a painting titled ”Enchanted Forest” that represents their goal to be an open and welcoming opera house—a mission that I applaude.

My Artistic Approach

My work is to a large extent rooted in the coastal landscapes of northern Sweden, where I’m from. To me, the stony shorelines and ever-shifting ocean is a place of both raw energy and deep calm.

I work primarily in watercolor because of its unpredictability. The medium forces me to embrace mistakes and spontaneity—in many ways painting in watercolor has given me lessons about handling complecity and accepting not being in control that has shaped my life al a whole, not only as an artist. You can hear me expand on this in an interview I did with the Nobel Foundation a while ago.

Interested in My Work?

If you’re interested in purchasing a piece of art from me, feel free to contact me at info@elisabethbistrom.com. I’m also happy to welcome visitors to my studio in Norrtälje, an hour northeast of Stockholm, by appointment.