It’s hard to stay indifferent to Sasha Ignatiadou’s illustrations. Using a mixture of techniques (anything from acrylic and watercolor to oil painting and digital art), they present a bright—almost neon—reality of clashing prints, textiles, and textures.
Ignatiadou’s clever juxtapositions might be related to her mixed academic training. Born in Russia, Ignatiadou graduated from the academy of architecture and art, Rostov on Don, in 2011, and received a diploma of the “Artist of Arts and Crafts” in textiles.
“Originally I am from Russia, North Caucasus and I lived among mountains and beautiful nature until I was 25,” she recalled in an interview with I Love Illustration, relaying her cultural upbringing. “I was born in a creative family,” she noted. “My mother wrote stories that were printed in local magazines. My father and younger sister played in a small band. And I loved dancing when I was younger.”
Currently based in Germany, her projects include collaborations with the textile and fashion industries, alongside more traditional illustration work, with clients as big as Puma, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle Magazine. Inspired by nature, female beauty, and Eastern cultures, her work more often than not focuses on women and explores the different types of femininity in the context of fashion and beauty.
“The main themes and motives for my works are the female figures, surrounded by floral ornaments and the main concept of my work is beauty,” she explains.
