Early Life, Family and Training Erik Olson was born on 9 May 1901 in Halmstad, Sweden. Growing up in Halmstad, he was part of an artistic environment that included his brother, the artist Axel Olson. His early path was not set on a creative life; his father had expected him to become an engineer. Instead, Olson spent his evenings cultivating his interest in drawing and painting by studying at the Halmstad Technical School. This period of self-directed study provided the foundation for a career that would eventually move far beyond the technical constraints his father had envisioned. The tra…