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Dreamlike Narratives Arise from Alefes Silva’s Fantastic Illustrations

Dreamlike Narratives Arise from Alefes Silva’s Fantastic Illustrations

“My work arises from the interplay between memory and the present,” says Bogotá-based illustrator Alefes Silva.

Themes of stillness and solitude, growth and death, and love and heartbreak recur in Silva’s drawings, which fuse fantastic plants and animals with human details. In one piece, a nude figure slumps over while trees and small shrubs grow from its back, while another depicts a brilliant, red sapling sprouting from a red-headed woman.

a man holding his hand up to his face. an eye appears on the back of his hand like a flower. plants grow across his torso

“Each element carries a specific meaning within my work, tied to a moment in memory, part of a dream or desire,” he adds.

Silva balances his practice with editorial commissions from magazines and publishers and personal projects. He’s currently working on four illustrated books, including a gardening diary and explorations of birds and grasshoppers.

The illustrator has pieces on view through November 30 in a group exhibition at Estonian Children’s Literature Centre and later this month as part of MountEchó. Dive into his surreal world on Behance and Instagram.

an open sketchbook with a white, bird like creature greeting a tiny man in a forest
a red tree appears to grow out of the chest of a red-headed woman
an open sketchbook showing red plants growing from a wolf on the left and gray plants growing from a red-hooded figure on the right
an open sketchbook showing a human face emerging from a lush garden of plants with a red cat prowling in its midst
a tree grows into a house in its canopy. a man peers through an upper story window
a leaf sprouts from the mouth of a human figure, whose form is repeated as a silhouette and plant rendering

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Dreamlike Narratives Arise from Alefes Silva’s Fantastic Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.

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