These illustrations by Arwassa (also known as Yolanda Perez), titled ‘Psique,’ are more than just eye-catching.
The Spanish artist describes her artwork as an exploration of the "girly world." That is, a world full of smiling faces but sinister intentions, sensitivity and voraciousness. This complexity of character is realized visually in her illustrations through fairy-like characters that smile with viscous fangs and inscrutable intentions. Arwassa explains that within the worlds of her illustrations, these characters are sovereign; although, it is unclear whether they are malicious tyrants or well-intentioned queens -- this is left for the viewer to decide.
Arwassa has expanded her range of skills to include toy design. These illustrations could be adapted well into such a medium; despite their psychological underpinnings, the drawings possess all the cute, cartoonish qualities one would normally expect to see in toy design.
Ghoulishly Girly Drawings
These Arwassa (Yolanda Perez) Illustrations are Inscrutable
Trend Themes
1. Girly-horror Fusion - There is an emerging trend of combining girly aesthetics with elements of horror, creating a visually striking and psychologically intriguing fusion.
2. Character Ambiguity - Artists and designers are exploring the use of characters with ambiguous intentions, blurring the line between good and evil and allowing viewers to interpret their motives.
3. Art-to-toy Adaptation - The adaptation of artistic illustrations, like those by Arwassa, into toy design is a disruptive opportunity to bring psychological depth and complexity to cute and cartoonish products.
Industry Implications
1. Art - The art industry can take inspiration from Arwassa's girly-horror fusion illustrations to explore new avenues for visual expression and challenge the norms.
2. Design - Toy designers can consider incorporating elements of character ambiguity, as seen in Arwassa's work, to create toys that engage children's imagination and foster creative storytelling.
3. Entertainment - The entertainment industry, including movies and animation, can explore the potential of the girly-horror trend to captivate audiences with visually striking and psychologically intriguing narratives.