BIOGRAPHY

David Thornell Orrenvade, born September 5, 1984, in Lidköping, Västergötland, is a Swedish photographer, designer, and entrepreneur. He grew up in Lidköping and spent significant time in France during his youth, which greatly influenced his upbringing. It was in France that Thornell first discovered his passion for art, drawing inspiration from various street artists. His journey into the creative world began with vibrant graffiti murals on walls across cities from Paris to Marseille.

Thornell later pursued studies in media at De la Gardiegymnasiet in Lidköping, where he focused on photography. Over time, his interest shifted from graffiti to photography. Upon graduation, he embarked on an ambitious project: traveling across the United States to photograph all 50 states. After more than 40 trips, he has captured images from all 48 contiguous states and plans to complete the project by visiting Hawaii and Alaska.

CAREER

In 2015, David Thornell founded Wallstar, an online platform that sells his photography and designs as posters. One of his signature creations is a unique design featuring a table made of text, representing areas from different parts of cities. This design quickly gained popularity in Sweden, selling thousands of copies across the country and being made for over 1,000 different locations.

In 2016, Thornell expanded his work to the sports world, designing official posters for the Frölunda HC hockey team, Leksands IF, Modo hockey, Villa Lidköping bandy team and IFK Gothenburg soccer team. The following year, in 2017, he collaborated with Viktor Frisk to create a design about ADHD, a subject that gained prominence following Viktor's diagnosis. The painting resonated with many, selling over 3,000 prints.

When American donut chain Dunkin' Donuts launched in Sweden, Thornell was commissioned to design artwork for all the cafes, including a large wall mural at the Gallerian shopping center in Stockholm. In November 2018, he joined Kjell Bergqvist's painting tour, showcasing 20 pieces with all proceeds going to Bergqvist's fundraising foundation, raising SEK 50,000 in just one day.

That same year, Thornell's social media presence flourished, surpassing 200,000 followers on Instagram. By 2024, David Thornell's photographs and designs have made their way into over one million homes and are displayed in various public spaces, including restaurants, cafes, hospitals, schools, shops, and clubs.

A tragic event also occurred in 2024. David Thornell was robbed of all his art, designs, and business by his own brother. Despite this devastating loss, he has demonstrated true entrepreneurial spirit and resilience. With unwavering determination, he has made a fresh start and continues to create and inspire on his own.

His artwork is exclusively available here and nowhere else
www.davidthornell.com
www.wallstar.se
www.artdamier.com

EXHIBITIONS

  • Scandic Rubinen, Göteborg.
  • Scandic Victoria Tower, Kista. 
  • Hjo Konstrum, Hjo.
  • Skrapan, Stockholm.
  • Konsthallen, Lidköping.
  • Nostalgeek, Lidköping.
  • Galleri Thornell, Lidköping.
  • Restaurang Bakgårn, Lidköping.
  • Svenska Kyrkan, New York.
  • Amandas konsthantverk, Hjo.
  • Clarion Hotel Sign, Stockholm.
  • Grand Hotel, Stockholm.

PUBLICATIONS

After Thornell's many visits to photograph all the states in the USA, he has written reports for various magazines including Allt om resor, Riksettan and Tidningen where he reported on the best travel tips to Los Angeles, San Francisco and around the USA. For the newspaper Riksettan, he made a report together with Johan Tell about the depiction of the Lincoln Highway, where Tell wrote the text and Thornell was responsible for all the photographs. Some of the publications are below.

EXTERNAL LINKS


    NEWSPAPERS

    • Sydöstran
    • Falköpings Tidning
    • Skövde Nyheter
    • Västgöta Bladet
    • Skaraborgs Allehanda
    • Skaraborg Läns Tidning
    • Danderyds Nyheter
    • Mariefreds Tidning
    • Uppland-BroBladet
    • Sala Allehanda
    • Tranås Tidning
    • Norrbottens Kuriren
    • Jönköpings Tidning
    • Sydöstran
    • Corren
    • Borås Tidning
    • Blekinge Läns Tidning
    • Filipstads Tidning
    • KT-Kuriren
    • Gefle Dagblad
    • Värnamo Nyheter
    • Arbetarbladet
    • Nya Lidköpings-Tidningen

     

    CLIENTS

    • Nordea
    • Saks Off 5th Avenue
    • Eklund Stockholm New York
    • Nordiska Kompaniet NK
    • Cervera
    • Expressen
    • Trademax
    • Dunkin Donuts
    • Clarion Hotels
    • Texas Longhorn
    • Scandic Hotels
    • Chilli
    • Önska
    • Frölunda Indians
    • IFK Göteborg
    • HSB
    • Magasin Åre
    • Royal Design
    • American Table Stockholm
    • Vagabond
    • Los Angeles International Airport
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers
    • RES
    • Mr Jet
    • Modo Hockey
    • Leksands IF
    • Villa BK
    • Viktor Frisk
    • Expressen Allt Om Resor
    • Ninjas In Pyjamas
    • Örnsköldsvik Turistbyrå
    • Gardefalk & Co Fastighetsmäklare
    • CSN Kalmar
    • SkandiaMäklarna
    • Snus24.com
    • Rum 1 Skellefteå
    • Biboköp Skellefteå
    • Vilhelmina Tourist Center
    • Åkesson Bil
    • Spillevinken Falun
    • Swedish Wine Cellar
    • Essex House Miami Beach
    • Riksettan
    • Huset Venice CA
    • TNT Magazine
    • Desert Magazine
    • Vintage Roadside
    • Doc!
    • Dafgårds
    • Swedish Church Of New York
    • Elevated Clothing Co
    • Grand Canyon Association
    • Karlshamn Inreda
    • Salong Preben
    • Haparanda Udda med flit
    • Falun Spillevinken
    • Mariestad Bildmagasinet
    • Tidaholm Pynt & Sånt
    • Jönköping Stigs Bageri
    • Varberg Tre Systrar
    • Clevelander Miami Beach
    • Promo Tools
    • Lidköpingsnytt
    • Cafe Solsidan
    • We Are New Mexico
    • Panam Holidays Inc
    • Aftonbladet Destination
    • Hotel & Restaurang and more
    • Dumpen.se