Shake off the winter blues with Riikka Sormunen's rich, sensual illustrative portfolio

Finnish illustrator Riikka Sormunen is an emerging name here in the UK at the moment; she’s big in her homeland already but has yet to make a name for herself in our neck of the woods. Prepare for all that to change though as she’s featured in the winter edition of Wrap magazine and has literally just released a Big Mother monogram with NoBrow – and it’s not at all hard to see why.

Combining autumnal colour palettes that evoke Gustav Klimt with the sensibilities of a fashion illustrator, Riikka creates complex scenes that are rich with narrative. We’re big fans of all her work, but her personal portfolio contains a sinister edge that we’re particularly keen on. The characters within it are all tormented, poised on the brink of an intense sexual awakening or wallowing in post-coital inertia – others are just barking mad. It’s a powerful body of work that undoubtedly warrants some serious attention.