Marina Muun
Marina Muun is originally from Varna, but she has been living in England for seven years now, the last three of which she has spent in London, which is also where we found her. She studied Illustration at the Arts University Bournemouth and then earned a master's degree in the same subject from Camberwell College of Arts in London. She now works as a freelance illustrator, which is her childhood dream come true.
What are you working on right now?
As usual, I am working on several things at once: illustrations for an article in a French magazine, a motif for an English brand, and my personal project – a fiction book for children and adults, which is based on a true story. My friends and I will be participating in several DIY fairs in the coming months, I'm getting ready for those. I'm keeping pretty busy!
And do you have time for personal projects?
Depends on the moment, usually yes. Unfortunately, they go on the back burner when I'm busy, but not for long!
What are your favorite subjects to explore through illustration?
When I work on magazine projects, they usually give me the text of the article and I have to create something based on it, so I don't have complete control. But I always try to include something of myself, it makes the work better and everyone is happier for it. For my personal projects I like to draw all kinds of things, it depends on what has caught my attention at that moment. My own projects are a lot weirder than my magazine illustrations, they're a little abstract and surreal, I like to experiment.
What is the greatest source of pleasure in your work?
Many of the things I do only exist in a digital environment, so I like to make prints in my spare time, mostly risograph and screen prints. It's nice to be able to hold what you've created in your hands. I also like to participate in fairs, festivals and markets, because I get to meet the people who enjoy and buy my work. This kind of personal contact is very important to me.
What are your biggest influences?
There are too many to list, you spend your whole life collecting impressions and learning from others. I recently went to an exhibition of the designers Charles and Ray Eames at the Barbican, and was very impressed by their philosophy of life. I count them among my idols. There was also a recent exhibit of Alexander Calder's sculptures at the Tate Modern, he is also one of my favorites. I like that his work is very simple, unpretentious and playful, but also elegant and well-balanced.
More at: marinamuun.com