Yapyap

This is the Yap Forest. It's full of all sorts of creatures, from the always happy Yap, a happy-go-lucky sort of fellow who is full of energy and friendly happiness, to his best friend Pusmis, who is always pulling pranks but is good-hearted underneath. There are many more characters, some of them are a bit more sinister, but if you look around, you will see the stories I have written stories next to their portraits. My name is Kristina Gordon and I am a Danish graphic designer and illustrator who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. I have always been inspired by folklore, especially the Scandinavian tales. A lot of my characters are inspired by old tales of the little creatures living in the corners of our eyes, and I was always intrigued by the idea of secret worlds coexisting next to ours. You can’t imagine how many closets I have checked to see if there was a magical forest behind the winter coats! To list all the things that inspire me would be an impossible task, but here are few. I grew up reading my mother’s childhood Elsa Beskow books, I love her fine style of illustration, her delicate worlds. As a child I had the typical love-fear relationship with Mommins, everyone I know thought they were terrifying and yet fascinating. As a grownup I've fallen completely in love with the Hayao Miyazaki movies. And a walk by the ocean, next to the windswept pine trees or at Tegners Museum, always gets my mind racing.