Eliza Lozanova
My work is presented as a series of eight tempera illustrations (35 × 50 cm), inspired by the story based on the theme set for us. Instead of turning to classic science fiction imagery, I searched our folk imagination—where shadows on the wall turn into fairy-tale creatures, and the legends told by grandmothers to their grandchildren transport listeners to other worlds.
Each of the eight works functions as a separate chapter in a larger visual narrative. Tempera allows me to create rich yet matte tones reminiscent of old illustrated books and scenes from shadow theater. The dark backgrounds create a sense of depth and mystery, while the figures—cut out by light—appear as ghostly silhouettes that could be either human or non-human.
The color palette is subdued, almost monochromatic, to emphasize the contrast between light and darkness. Thus, the “aliens” in my works are not distant cosmic visitors, but beings from the border between the known and the unknown—the product of imagination, fear, and wonder. They are both guests and hosts in our stories. With each subsequent illustration, the viewer is drawn deeper into this middle world, where legends blend with fantasy.
My concept draws energy from the magic of shadow theater—the interplay of silhouettes and light that leaves room for imagination. Thus, in my illustrations, “aliens” are both unfamiliar and familiar—part of childhood fears and wonders, of the stories that connect us to the past and to the cosmos of our dreams.
