Illustrator Agniya Tolstokulakova has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Her biggest influence is the city in which she lives: New York. ‘New York has always inspired me endlessly,’ she tells The Peep.
She was first commissioned to illustrate New York by Link NYC, a fast, one-of-a-kind communication network with 1,700+ active displays in all five boroughs of NYC. ‘They wanted me to create some NYC-themed illustrations to be displayed on kiosks. I got a lot of freedom doing this project and to see my work displayed all over my favourite city was a real dream come true. I received an amazing response to the illustrations and decided to continue the series. Later on, my New York illustrations were featured by Departure magazine, Guggenheim museum, and other publications.’
Agniya’s process involves sketching around the city first and taking photos, so she can “revisit” the scenes of always moving New York. She focuses on creating an atmospheric scene rather that a realistic composition, ‘I believe that all aspects of illustration can serve as communication tools to convey a message, feeling, or sense and connect people through a visual experience,’ she tells The Peep
To see more of Agniya’s work, visit her website or Instagram.