Camilla Engstrom’s feminist illustrations depict a world of nudity, body hair and mild peril

On first glimpse the work of Swedish-born, New York-based artist Camilla Engstrom looks pretty cute. Her alter-ego Husa, a deliciously plump, fuchsia-skinned non-binary being, spends a large chunk of her time naked and revels in a good open-mouth snooze. Sometimes she’s found making water fountains in the bath and at others getting crunk with her girlfriends.

But if you peer a little closer, there’s occasionally underlying menace in Husa’s pink universe. Why, for example, is a the oven on fire on the top of that building? Husa mid-slumber drool looks all the more perilous as she leaves a camping stove unattended on her bed. The scenarios encountered in Husa’s world are particularly fascinating with the knowledge that Camilla uses her work as a diary; each of the scenes are based on a real life experiences.

Alongside her paintings, Camilla’s has a healthy commercial practice – Husa has found her way on to shirts for Monki, a pair of Vans trainers and shirts for Gap. Be sure to check out her Dick Book if high heel-wearing genitalia is your tipple.