In the north of Sweden, where the light shifts dramatically with the seasons and the forests stretch endlessly beyond the city, Umeå sits along the wide Ume River. The city is often called The City of Birches, named after the thousands of pale trees planted after the great fire of 1888.
Today they line the streets, filtering the northern light and giving the city its unmistakable character. For Emilia Lindmark, co-founder of EOE Eyewear, Umeå is the place where everything began.
“I was born and raised in Umeå,” she says. “People often associate the city with the birches, its location far up in the north, and the university (where I also studied myself). But for me, Umeå has always been a place where culture really runs through everyday life.”
“Growing up there meant being surrounded by creativity in ways that felt almost ordinary”, she continues. Cultural institutions sit side by side with cafés and the nearby forests, casually included in the cityscape. Art, design and creative thinking are simply part of the rhythm of the city.
“When you grow up there, you almost take it for granted that creativity is everywhere,” she says. “It’s only after moving away that you realize how special that actually is.”
One place that many people from Umeå feel a particular connection to is Bildmuseet, the contemporary art museum rising along the riverbank. The tall building, visible from across the water, houses international exhibitions as well as experimental projects, with each floor offering something new to discover.
“For students, especially those studying design or art, it almost becomes like an extra classroom, ” Lindmark says. “You go there for inspiration, to see how others work with form, materials and storytelling.”
Just beside it stands Umeå Institute of Design, a school that attracts students from all over the world. Known internationally and the recipient of prestigious awards such as Red Dot, the institute still carries the spirit of the city around it.
“It’s very much ‘Umeå’,” she says.“Creative, open.. and close to nature.”
Nature is never far away here. The forests begin just beyond the city, and the river moves steadily through its center. That closeness to the landscape shapes not only daily life but also the way many designers and creatives approach their work.
Another important part of the city’s cultural landscape is Kvinnohistoriskt museum, Sweden’s first museum entirely dedicated to women’s history.
“I think it’s powerful to have a museum with such a specific focus,” Lindmark says.“It highlights stories and perspectives that haven’t always been part of traditional historical narratives.”
Together, these institutions form a cultural corridor along the river. Within just a few minutes’ walk, it’s possible to move from a design studio to a contemporary art exhibition and then into a museum exploring social history.
For those who grow up in Umeå, this closeness becomes something natural and almost invisible in its familiarity.
“Culture was never something distant or formal,” Lindmark says. “It was simply there, happening around you all the time. And I think that becomes a big part of who you are.”