And so it goes...

Margareth Osju

My name is Margareth Osju. I was born in Brazil 1962. I live in Sweden since 1973. I'm an artist, some kind of pacifistic artist, photographer, illustrator and writer.

I used to be a poet; I used the words like a camera lens. Then I got ill, my brain burned out; collapsed, and I lost the words.

In the desperation of emptiness I started to take photos with a simple digital camera. A mistake with sugar showed me a new way to photograph. A second mistake, a crashing old computer, a dying scanner, teach me the technique that I use to make my illustrations.  I use a combination of drawing, photo, acrylic and the simple old photoshopsprogram that my computer was able to install. I never study photoshop either and during time I learned  a lot  using the mistakes I done. I still don’t know how my photoshopsprogram works. I learn to do mostly of my mixed media with using to much technique.  You can use sugar to make snow, as example. I never study photographing but I learn of my mistakes there too.

I never study art. I don’t had that possibility, but I always been an observer and I during those 5 years that I was not well, I learn to see those small details around. My love for the nature, the respect for the universe, for humans, is often in my artworks. During the time I was creating a garden or roses I start to create my world of visual words.

I start to make what I call, blog illustrations. I catch the bloggers voices online but visual. It was my way to show that I seen them. Those bloggillustrations was my teacher, I start to illustrate poems I wrote before and I start to illustrate arts for human rights and I start to share photos I catch of nature beauty. I take my outdoors life to cyber world, more exact.

Well, that’s me. I don’t know what more I can write with my words, raping the poor English,  and I don’t want to write a book either.

But this is very short what I do.

1. Human rights illustration
2. Illustrating the manuscript I was writing before I collapsed: Solar eclipse Chapter V.
3. Photographing. I create poetry of life with the beauty of nature. But mostly of the photos are to the third manuscript I was writing.
4.  Tales of my invisible friends. Those are my ray of sunshine. It’s a manuscript that I was writing, I photograph my little friends and actually now I try to compose music to the words I wrote. Still new into the music composition. I have to learn how to catch the music I have in my mind.
5. 5. Political illustrations. I try to catch the voices about what’s happen into the political atmosphere in Sweden, but even in other parts of the world. Those illustrations change a lot from my others illustrations. On you tube you find some of my political illustration. Search osju.

I am a visual poet.

Back to the illustrations. Those illustrations was my way to catch the light during the darkness nights. I was trying to go back to life and I was fighting to not give up. Listen to other people’s life, catching the voices was my way to think in someone else then my situation, but it was also my way to share something of my life experiences. I like to help people and hidden behind a nickname I help people in crisis. I done that before I lost my words. Hidden behind my my nickname !”Ani behind Saturn’s moon, I listened to sad people online,  and I catch their feelings in poetry. The different from that time to how I do today is not much. I just change words to pictures.

I use the power of art to make a change, to help those I met, that want to say something important. I use to stop by and sometimes I use the visual word to give my support. I try to use my gift to do something of value. And yes I know, I do rape the English language all the time too. One of many reason why I want to do something.

I'm a refugee and that's mean that my daughter is a child of a refugee.
My father was a refugee. I am a child of an refugee. My father was a son of a refugee, my grandfather was a son of an refugee. Sons and daughters, generations after generations, because of wars. One day those wars and injustice around the world have to stop.

I'm not rich, far away from that, but I am rich comparing how many people live around the world. I am expert to find things and create from nothing. Using a creative imagination you can make miracles sometimes and you learn a lot during the time you make miracles too.

I use to help in silence mostly of the time. Before I becomes a mother , my daughter is 15 years, I was involved in a International Women's Federation here in Sweden. During those 10 years I learn a lot and what I learn I have with me today.

I try to change the world in the way I can. I believe in the power of art, music, love, kindness and understanding.