About hanakotobahime

_{Hello, friends!}

_{I’m Wanda, an italian-polish illustrator who works with both digital and traditional mediums.
I grew up with Jill Barklem, Jan Marcin Szancer and Beatrix Potter’s beautiful stories and illustrations, with Tove Jansson’s Moomins and lots of anime such as Card Captor Sakura, InuYasha or Studio Ghibli's beautiful works and fell in love with their sceneries, aesthetics and messages, so my work is higly influenced by a mix of european’s 800-900s aesthetics* and depiction of rural life, but also japanese pop and traditional culture. I also get a huge inspiration from everyday life though: it can be the music I’m listening to, a dream that stayed in my mind after I woke up, the scenery outiside a window or something I saw during a walk…
I want to create a peaceful and dreamy world with my art, a safe hideout, a comforting place that can give both escape from reality and food for thought.}

_{(* and NO, I’m totally NOT nostalgic for colonialism, that kind of mentality is something I’m very ashamed for as an european person lol)}

_{Hanakotobahime is officially born in 2018, but I’ve been drawing since childhood, just like all of us. I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in a family of people who truly appreciate art and beauty, so my interest towards these topics was definitely incouraged by them, even though I had to fight a little – my parents weren’t very positive at me watching anime at first (but guess what, now we even watch them together from time to time) and it wasn’t easy to convince my dad to let me study art in highschool. But I’m not here to complain, after one year at a linguistic high school I was able study what I really wanted and I’m happy with it!
For some time I actually thought that maybe my dad was right for wanting me to study languages instead of art, that I could have learn all these things by myself… But now that many years has passed, I’ve truly aknowleged the importance of studying anatomy and art history, and looking at all the work of many talentuous artists! Yes, there’s plenty of things I’ve learned by myself (including English lol – so pardon me if it’s not perfect), but I’ve had some amazing teachers and professors both in highschool and university and I’m grateful for that.
Speaking of university, I’ve graduated in Photography, which I studied for three years, and then in Fine Arts (two more years) at LABA Academy in Brescia.
I think that studying photography also helped me a lot, it gave me much more knowledge about composition and helped me rediscovering my love for art during a time when it was very difficult for me to draw anything. Yes, I almost stopped drawing for a few years: many things can happen in life, not necessary positive ones, and let’s say this might have some consequences which can eventually lead you to a breaking point… But I got very fascinated by photography during highschool, started to work as a photographer at live concerts and events during weekends and this kinda gave a meaning to my (mentally) worst years.
I’ve been very low in my last teenage years and in my early twenties, taking pictures helped me deal with many dark thoughts and let me keep seeing beauty even in what scared and hurted me (or the people I cared about) the most.
I’ve now stopped taking lots of pictures but mostly because my reflex camera broke, and when it happened I was gradually starting to draw again. I hope someday I’ll be able to use both mediums well, but now I like to incorporate the photographs I take with my phone and my drawings from time to time.}

_{Taking a breath… uhhh
I’m doing a lot better now!
I think I’ve experienced – as many of us, if not the most, unfortunately, do – quite many bad and sad things and still carry my trauma and maybe that’s why I really want to create positive, safe, peaceful images. I often feel like going back to my childhood when drawing, I meet the 7 years old me and hug her, telling her everything will be fine. 
I think of my art as some sort of theraphy and I really, really want it to bring comfort to the people who watch it, and maybe feel the same as me, or have experienced similar things. I want my illustrations to be a warm embrace for everyone who needs it. I know I still have a lot to learn and improve, this process never stops actually, and it makes me truly happy to see the changes in my works! But one thing I hope will never change and it is my commitment to give comfort to those who look at my illustrations. Perhaps it is a little presumptuous? Still, I want to do my best!
Thank you for being with me in this journey, or even just to have passed by. I wish you a peaceful day and a bright future ahead! <3}

_{If you'd like to, you can always follow my journey on my social medias, such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok .}