Finding Raluca’s Instagram was such a pleasure. Besides our interest in the creative field, we also discovered our love for dogs.
Subsign: First, can you tell as a few things about yourself?
Raluca: I’m a ex(though forever)-art director that snuck away to become a freelance illustrator. I do my thing in the company of a sweet mutt by the name of Dovlecel (Pumpkin). Presently I spend most of my days trying to make things look a little bit better, make a bit more sense out of reality, attending to the mutt’s needs, chasing fairytales and failing miserably at cross-fit classes.
Subsign: What was your childhood like? Do you think your experiences from childhood have influenced your present creative endeavors?
Raluca: Scary. Never understood adults. They seemed to have extremely counterintuitive rules. I got along better with animals and drawn imaginary friends. Spent most of my childhood listening to stories on vinyl and sketching. More or less I’m doing the same things now.
There was a point in my childhood that turned things around for me. When I was 11 years old I won a drawing contest and went to Japan for a couple of weeks. It was quite a culture shock. Fell from the edge of the eastern communist block in the middle of a radically different and far, far ahead 90’s Yokohama. This made me forever fond of ink, dichotomy, minutiae and ghouls.
Subsign: What did you wanted to be as a grown up?
Raluca: A veterinarian but my parents insisted on following through the artsy path.
Subsign: How does your workstation look like?
Raluca: As seen below. Now. But I change the setting depending on the light of the season.
Subsign: Do you have a work style? How would you describe it?
Raluca: I have a few “go to” styles. For one, my work is by commission mostly and so the clients always have a brief. Sometimes that brief does not include references from my portfolio. Second, I get bored easily so even when I’m knee deep in my own projects I manage to find a challenge, ask something new of myself. Probably the biggest nightmare would be to look back on my work and find out that I did the same thing over and over again.
But underneath the restlessness and different requirements I think there is a “style” that I would describe as being overbearingly sinuous and detailed with a touch of creepy surrealism.
Subsign: Can you share with us how your creative process works?
Raluca: Brief, research, thrill, sketch, anxiety, horror, starting things, more horror, continuing things because life is short and I need to pay the bills, frustration, more and more horror, finishing with the promise that next time will be better.
Subsign: What is your favorite work you have done so far?
Raluca: To be quite frank, I am proud of none of my creations. But, on a personal level I look fondly upon March from 11 months of happiness.
Subsign: Who do you follow for inspiration?
Raluca: So many people. From illustrators to fashion creators and architects. There is a huge and wonderful creative world out there. My favourite feeds come from Hi Fructose and Juxtapose Magazine.
Subsign: What advice could you give to someone starting out in the creative field of work?
Raluca: I’m at a loss most of the time… maybe something like do what gives you most pleasure and don’t pursue validation but better results from your work.
Subsign: If you would a super power, what would it be?
Raluca: Invisibility, definitely. Pranks would be made, animals would be liberated, walls would be painted, unpleasant people would find their shoelaces tied. 🙂
Subsign: Can you recommend for our readers a book, a song and a movie?
Raluca: Right now I would go for The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, Hell is Round the Corner by Tricky, The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Subsign: If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?
Raluca: All summer long beach party where everyone should come with their pet dog. Or pig. Or otter.
Subsign: What famous people would you invite to the party and why?
Raluca: For a good party I would choose more likely famous fictional characters and friends (the closest ones are famous to me for being able to stay around) but if David Bowie happens to stop by I surely will not mind.
Thank you Raluca for being a part of it!
If you know an artist that should be in the spotlight, contact us at jojo@subsign.co .
For more of Raluca’s work you can follow her on the links: Raluca’s portfolio, Raluca on Instagram, Raluca on Facebook.
