Yelena Bryksenkova’s illustrations have a wonderful Eastern European Folk Art aesthetic, her pictures wrapped up in melancholia, mystery and the timelessness that comes with the fairy tales of our youth.
What gives Bryksenkova’s pictures emotional depth and character is her deep attachment to illustrating everyday activities carried out by people living in solitude – playing Solitaire, listening to records, pressing flowers and drinking tea – and how she describes these domestic scenes with her beautiful pattern work and attention to architectural detail.
This combination of daily life and a wonderful rendering of detail creates a magic and a desire that is almost transcendental. Here’s what she said about her work to youmeandcharlie.com:
I often return to the theme of home and the comfort of objects. Personal space is so important to me, and I like to place the people I draw in warm surroundings filled with cherished objects. Solitude, loneliness, melancholy are important aspects of it, too, but not in a frightening or cold way. Italo Calvino said, “melancholy is sadness that has taken on lightness.” It’s a feeling that I’ve embraced; for me, it’s the most inspiring. I also like to tap into somewhat magical themes, fairy tales, a little darkness and mystery now and then.