 His parents were Professor Eigil Wilhelm Schwab (1882-1952) and painter Anna Axén (1880-1962).He attended the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and studied for six years at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts.He was hired by theater direction Hans Jacob Nilsen as a scene painter at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen from 1934. he became the permanent scenographer and later served as theatre director from 1952 to 1961.