She comes in colors everywhere
The twelfth interview of the FemGems in the Arts series features the illustrator Albena Limoni
Albena Limoni is only 28 years old but she has already made a name for herself in the artistic world. She is an illustrator and a graphic designer. Together with her partner in life, Kostadin Kokalanov, she founded “Frank Studio”, where they combine their skills in illustration and calligraphy to create design and visual identities for their clients.
Albena has been collaborating with many companies and artists on different projects. Her vivid imagination and skillful hand have crafted thousands of faces and bodies of people or animals for book covers, packagings, social campaigns etc. Creatures with bizarre shapes and powerful colors.
She loves contrast, because it somehow balances the extremes. She would probably agree that when life gives you lemons, you’d better draw them.
More often her figures are abstract, loose and joyful, but they can also be quite veritable. The outlines that Albena Limoni draws help us see the variety of strong personalities of brave Bulgarian women who have dedicated their lives to important social causes. Thanks to her illustrations, we also have a fresh image of the most popular Bulgarian writers that help students read literature with more curiosity and understanding.
Albena Limoni is diligent and talented. She is modest and inspiring. She comes in colors everywhere. She combs her hair. She is a rainbow.
How did you choose a profession in the Arts?
I asked myself the same question years ago. “How do I choose a profession in Arts?” Then, step by step, your career is building, and you see what gives meaning to your life — sometimes there is more than one thing. I knew I would dive into the world of books while I was in high school. I feel that I still need decades of practice in this field to start call myself a professional illustrator, though.
What’s important for you in Art?
I think the most important thing is to put your heart in what you are doing. You need to be honest with yourself, otherwise there is no need for you to be an artist, musician or whatever else related to the arts.
Which artists have had an impact on you and have helped you develop your artistic taste? Which of them have influenced the art that you create?
I admire so many artists with different styles and approaches to their work. I adore the simplicity and beauty of the old Japanese prints. I can observe them for hours.
How do you define your artistic style and approach? Do you think you’ve found your own personal voice?
I don’t think I have found my personal voice yet, because every time I draw something new, I feel I have made a step forward. I am always in search of the perfect shape and silhouette.
Does art help you saying things that you can’t say in any other way, or at least not that loudly and visibly?
Whenever I am emotionally down or opposite, I can always draw something that would probably turn out good. You know what they say about the artists and the sadness and depression — you don’t need an emotional crisis to be a good artist, but art is the perfect sponge to absorb the feelings and turn them into something real that touches many other people.
How or where do you usually find a link between images, words, and sounds?
I always link drawing with everything else. This is my way to expressing myself. Illustration is something special because it is a relationship between image and text.
It is still curious to me how their bond appears to have very different forms. If by sound you mean music, I often find the similarity between those types of arts. I actually draw inspiration from all of them. I have a project in mind that combines images, words and sounds. It will be a book.
How does your imagination work? What does your creative process look like?
I am trying to be as sincere as possible. I think this is the key to provide your best energy, ideas, and thoughts on the paper.
My creative process is simple — when it comes for a book I read it all the way, doing some research if it is necessary. Then I try to go deeper into the book and give myself a little time without working on it. After that, I am slowly starting to build the construction — I am drawing fast small compositions to find the whole book.
Otherwise I am an instant drawer — I think of something and I draw it instantly, no matter where am I or what am I doing.
The devil is in the detail, isn’t it?
The devil is in the detail, but not only — the devil is in the contrast too. It’s best when you can balance both.
What are the professional challenges that young artists often face in their work?
Recognition. This is the most challenging when you are a young artist. I think finding your type of expression and your style is part of it.
How are you dealing with hesitations, insecurity and personal fears?
I grow them. And I only try to get better — in my opinion this is the best medicine against hesitations, insecurity, and fear.
Which are the most interesting projects that you have worked on?
It is very interesting for me to work on projects that are not usually meant to be done by an illustrator. Like building an identity. This is not what I usually do, but I enjoy working on that.
Another thing is working on picture books for children. I didn`t have the opportunity to work on many children books, but that`s where I`m headed.
And I love working on books in general. I also like making package design that is mostly hand-drawn. I love the result.
You have worked on many important social projects such as campaigns about violence against women. How do you cope with difficult subjects like this?
While working on the “violence against women” subject I was shocked by what I read — I had to read real convictions with almost every detail. What I find interesting when working on this type of topic is diving into subjects that are most of the time out of my line of vision.
For two different projects you have made drawings of many brave Bulgarian women who have dedicated their lives to important social causes and also of some of the most famous Bulgarian female writers. Which of them have made a strong impression on you and why?
Maybe you only hear the same answer, but I love most of my projects. It is probably because I’m trying to get involved with everything I do. After that I end up loving the project. Sometimes I think I could change anything or maybe adjust something a little bit…
It was very interesting for me to read more about the Bulgarian authors, but also for the other project that you are asking me about. I loved reading texts and biographies, observing the old pictures of those people who lived back then and looking at their belongings, trying to imagine what their life was like. I feel very content that I had the opportunity to work on those projects. And thankful.
What does success mean for you? What is your professionally bravest dream?
Last year, together with my partner in life and work, I created a company. I think this is a hard thing to do alone and consider it as success. I had a dream to create a place for beautiful and well-designed books, magazines, advertising campaigns etc.
It feels amazing when you and your partner share the same vision for the future, so we realized our dream. My other dream is to create an art book series, drawn and written by me. But it is still a hopeful dream for the near future.
What is coming up for you in the near future?
Next up for me will be showing more of my illustration skills in whole books, because people mostly see just book covers from me. Also, we are going to show our work on different projects in a website and this is hugely exciting for me too.
This portrait is the 12th one of the FemGems in the Arts series, proudly part of FemGems, a labor of love boosting female entrepreneurship.
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