Alter Ego ‹ Lundgren+Lindqvist

Project: Alter Ego
Author: Owe Gustafson
Client: Farozonen Förlag
Type: Publication Design
Year: 2025

Owe Gustafson (b. 1940) is a Swedish illustrator, artist, and author whose distinctive visual language has made him one of Scandinavia’s most beloved cultural figures. Trained at Konstfack in Stockholm, he emerged in the late 1960s with a graphic style that blended playful minimalism, sharp wit, and a quietly subversive sense of humour.

Gustafson became widely known as one of the creators behind ‘Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter’, the iconic 1970s children’s television series that shaped generations of Swedish viewers and established him as a defining figure in Nordic illustration. Over the decades, his practice has expanded across media—drawing, painting, printmaking, animation, and artist’s books—yet always retained the clarity and mischievous elegance that characterise his work.

Alter Ego (Farozonen Förlag, 2025), designed by Lundgren+Lindqvist, is the latest book in Owe Gustafson’s series of autofictional, fully illustrated works. The book, which gathers short, poignant stories, is small enough to fit in a suit pocket—or in a magician’s hat.

By allowing the title and the author’s name to run continuously across the cover, from recto to verso, Alter Ego becomes visually and conceptually linked to its creator, thereby underscoring the significance of the title.

The high-gloss hardcover is dirt-resistant, enabling the small volume to be carried in a pocket for extended periods without showing signs of wear. Its compact format was inspired by a pocket-sized Sten Dunér catalogue from 1967, discovered in an antiquarian bookstore¹ in Malmö. The format also alludes to Owe Gustafson’s play on scale, an ongoing theme in the author’s artistic output.

Gustafson’s illustrations—comprising collages assembled from newspaper clippings together with self-portraits—were carefully reproduced to ensure a consistent raster throughout the book. The book is published by Farozonen Förlag in a first edition whose scale reflects the intimate character of the work: only 150 copies were printed.

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Gustafson became a Swedish household name as the illustrator behind the animations in 'Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter', the iconic 1970s children’s television series. Portrait by Mikael Lundblad.

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Gustafson became a Swedish household name as the illustrator behind the animations in 'Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter', the iconic 1970s children’s television series. Portrait by Mikael Lundblad.

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

Lundgren+Lindqvist - Alter Ego

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As an author and illustrator, Owe Gustafson has published numerous books for both children and adults, including a celebrated suite of autobiographical, fully illustrated volumes that combine memoir, observation, and visual storytelling. His drawings often appear deceptively simple, yet carry a philosophical undercurrent, reflecting on everyday life, identity, politics, and the absurdity of the human condition.

Gustafson’s work has been exhibited widely in Sweden and internationally, and he remains an active and inventive voice in contemporary illustration and graphic art. His decades-long career continues to influence designers, artists, writers, and readers who recognise in his imagery a rare blend of clarity, humour, and depth.

¹Antikvariat Artes, Helmfeltsgatan 5, 211 48 Malmö