trozoselect flavor artists
It's not called "Select" for nothing — we've picked seven of the most talented artists and designers we know to participate in the Select Flavor project. In addition to publishing their ubercool creations on Flavorpill, we're posting background information about the artists, getting to the crux of their creative madness via five core interview questions, and archiving their work — all right here.
5 questions with oksana badrak
Oksana Badrak, a Moscow native, developed her distinctive illustration style at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Upon graduating with distinction, she quickly earned recognition from the Society of Illustrators and other prestigious bodies. In addition to featuring in numerous group and solo exhibitions in the US and abroad, Badrak's work has been published in Entertainment Weekly, Travel + Leisure, Playboy, Fast Company, and the New Yorker. The artist's diverse client roster includes Nike, Warner Brothers, Nokia, Showtime, and Target. At present, Badrak works out of her studio in Los Angeles with a pet chinchilla named Guinness by her side.
oksana badrak
01. Describe the concept(s) behind your interpretation of Select Flavor.
OB: I hoped to create a world of wholesome abundance, warmth and rich textures, inhabited by unexpected dwellers. I felt it was important to communicate an idea of familiarity and comfort married with surprise, complexity, and progress.
02. Give a brief sketch of the creative process you used to realize your Select artwork.
OB: I always had a hard time choosing a medium, so I just use it all: oil painting, photography, 3-D modeling, vintage papers, among other tricks. Initially I think about what kind of elements I'd like to have in this world I am creating, and after I formulate those elements, I try to combine them digitally.
03. If you could set up a studio anywhere, what location would you choose, and why?
OB: I would love to set up my studio on a giant floating piece of ice somewhere in Patagonia. In the mornings I would be greeted by colonies of penguins, and have a surplus of great white spaces to inspire me to create more.
04. Who or what inspires you to make art?
OB: Plants and animals are an endless source of inspiration. I brake for supermarkets with foreign produce and indecipherable packaging. Objects exhibiting a weathered sense of luxury are my latest obsession.
05. What other projects are you working on — or dreaming about working on — right now?
OB: I am working on projects for Coca-Cola, GQ, and Nickelodeon magazine this week.