Chit-Chatting with Aurora

“Art is like a private world to me. It's a safe universe I can plunge in and rely on in the hard times." Aurora is a graphic designer from Iran who went from being a biology student to a talented digital illustrator and ceramist. Discover in this interview how she began her creative path, mostly driven by traveling, and what fascinates her about digital art forms, ceramics, and creativity.♡

Who is Aurora?

I'm a 33-year-old graphic designer from Iran. I truly enjoy being active and creative. In addition, traveling is one of my favorite activities and something that fuels me as a creator.

How did you get started in the art world?

Since I was a student in biology major studies, I found myself very interested in the art world. However, I had to continue my major because of my father's attitude. But right after that, starting university, I finally had the opportunity to pursue my artistic passions and study graphic design. I noticed that graphic design was an area that allowed me to make money and still keep my heart warm with a sense of creativity and passion. It is a good balance for me!

What do you enjoy the most about digital art?

As you may know, I'm not really into making traditional visual art, such as working with physical colors, canvas, or paper. Maybe my enthusiasm for traveling has caused me to choose more convenient and modern tools, like the iPad! Also, to be very honest, my obsession with being organized can lead me to avoid working with art materials. I like my working space to be as neat as possible! As such, working with digital formats provides me with a practical, clean, and portable workspace that I can use whenever I want.

I love your women’s portraits in nostalgic scenarios. Where do you get the inspiration from?

Well, most women in my paintings refer to me. I usually imagine myself in places I'd love to visit and in situations I'd like to be in, then start sketching. Maybe that’s why my illustrations feel a bit nostalgic! Dreaming of new places is an incredible source of inspiration for me.

You’ve started making ceramics as well! What motivated that change?

I've been curious about it for some time and finally decided to give it a shot! Experimenting with clay has been like meditation for me. After the first piece I made, I found the process to be quite fun and calming. Seeing the results brought me a great sense of satisfaction, so I'm planning to keep exploring this new creative interest.

New techniques can be difficult to learn and master - but they also stimulate us and take us out of our comfort zone.

Yes, I fully agree with you! Moreover, I believe that getting stuck can cause corruption. We, as human beings, need to grow and step out of our comfort zone. I’m a curious person who’s always trying to evolve and learn new things. So discovering new techniques and trying new tools could actually be my favorite hobby - even if sometimes the process turns out to be more challenging than I expected!

Is there any other art form you would like to try in the future?

Hmmm, not really, at least for now! But everything is possible and I know that my future self can lead me to try another field of art, like photography. So we’ll see what happens!

What does creating art mean to you? How does it make you feel?

I started working as a professional graphic designer right after my Bachelor's degree. Back then, I used to consider it a source of income, but today art is like a private world to me. It's a safe universe I can plunge in and rely on in the hard times. As I've mentioned before, I think I've finally found a good balance that allows me to sustain myself and be in contact with my creative essence. I’m very grateful for that.

Where can we see your work? Do you have an online shop?

Not yet, unfortunately! Although I feel I’m lacking an online shop for my work, I’ve not yet planned to do this. I believe that an online shop needs a lot of time and an ability to be responsive and in touch with customers to be successful in selling, and I'm not sure I'm 100% ready for it at the moment. I hope it happens soon! For the time being, I invite you to follow my work on my Instagram page, @illustrations_by_aurora