FANTASY ART
When I was around eleven years old, I created a fantasy world called Ulbser-Burii (I find the name somewhat embarrassing, but no longer have the heart to change it). It was a small thing at first – a valley where a society of witches lived and went about their everyday business. I had grown up with Grimm’s fairy tales and Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, so love for fantasy had already taken deep root within me.
Over the years, that world became my dearest companion. It grew alongside me, spreading from a single valley to an entire continent filled with a bizarre mix of cultures and characters.
As Ulbser-Burii expanded, it chronicled my changing understanding of the world and myself. Arriving at the themes of queerness and otherness that are the focus of my work today has been a gradual process – it was mostly about understanding what was already there.
By now, I cannot separate this imaginary world from myself, it has become an integral part of my being. I do not know who I would be without it. Thus, I’ve dedicated my life to making this world reality through my art and my stories. If, on this quest, I can find company and forge connections, the journey has already been worthwhile.
