Ahead of the latest Fjallraven Kånken Art launch on World Oceans Day, June 8th, The Sporting Lodge decodes the message behind the latest special edition bag.
About 71% of the earth´s surface is covered by oceans. They produce over half of the oxygen on our planet and are home to over one million species of animals and even more plants. They are also the key regulators of the climate.
It is safe to say that every living thing on Earth is dependent on the health of our oceans, but tragically estimates indicate that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish. That is unless we seriously change our habits and the way we handle our waste.
“ We share a strong value: that our future and the future of nature are intertwined. Therefore, we need to take care of it better. We need to value what we have before it’s too late.” - Linn Fritz, Illustrator and Animator
The 2021 edition of Kånken Art aims to increase awareness around these problems, and also hopes to inspire change. After two successful annual releases, Kånken Art ’21 is the third edition and has a clear mission to draw attention to the problem of ocean plastics.
Launching on June 8, 2021, which happens to be World Ocean Day, the Kånken Art ’21 products will feature a design in two colour palettes: Ocean Surface and Ocean Deep. The unique twist was developed by Swedish illustrator and animator Linn Fritz, who took the opportunity to work with Fjällräven in order to help generate more attention about plastic waste and the health of our oceans.
“I feel very privileged to have been given this opportunity to create an art pattern for Kånken that so many people will be able to see. I wanted to bring some awareness to one of the biggest concerns facing our oceans and our planet today, and therefore my Kånken Art became an abstract pattern inspired by pieces of plastic.”
Linn grew up in the northern countryside of Sweden, just outside of Sundsvall, where she spent a lot of time in nature. She loves spending time outdoors with a very active lifestyle, including swimming, fishing, hiking and skiing with her family and friends. As she says, “Being outside in nature is a break from everyday life. It helps me to relax, clear my head and find inspiration for work”.
Today Linn lives in the UK, and she is also very fond of the nature there: “ The UK has incredibly beautiful nature that feels very similar to Sweden. Living in London, I do not spend as much time in nature as I would ideally like to, but that has definitely made me appreciate it so much more”.
Specifically, Linn lives in East London where she works independently, creating clean and precise imagery for a wide range of commercial clients. She is also co-founder of Panimation, which is, “a community of equality-driven women, trans, and non-binary friends aiming to connect and support each other within the gaming industry” .
In London, Linn mainly works as a digital artist with a lot of quick turnaround projects and tight deadlines. Working with Fjällräven on Kånken Art ’21 however, was not a typical project. In fact, it was a partnership with perfectly aligned beliefs. “ We share a strong value: that our future and the future of nature are intertwined. Therefore, we need to take care of it better. We need to value what we have before it’s too late.”
The partnership with Fjällräven also allowed Linn to work more methodically and explore new creative horizons. As she describes it, “From the very first introduction email … we have always had an easy-going and friendly relationship. It’s been a very pleasant journey to develop this artwork together with someone that listens, understands and explains their feedback in a very beneficial way”.
