“My work arises from the interaction between memory and the present,” says illustrator from Bogotá Alefes Silva.
Themes of silence and loneliness, growth and death, and love and heartbreak are reflected in Silva’s drawings, in which fantastic plants and animals merge with human details. In one piece, a naked figure slumps forward as trees and small shrubs grow from his back, while another depicts a brilliant, red sapling sprouting from a red-haired woman.
“Each element has a specific meaning within my work, connected to a moment in memory, part of a dream or desire,” he adds.
Silva combines his practice with editorial assignments from magazines and publishers and personal projects. He is currently working on four illustrated books, including a garden diary and explorations of birds and grasshoppers.
The illustrator has pieces on display in a group exhibition at Estonian Children’s Literature Center and later this month as part of Mount Echo. Dive into his surreal world Behance And Instagram.
