Their black and white illustrations explore existential questions, by tackling themes like life and death, often presented using a set of symbols. “Visual images created by us stem from the subconscious,” the duo shared with Jung Katz. “Everything we have seen, heard or read is accumulated and recorded somewhere at the back of mind, like an information debit. Afterward, a key phrase (or thought) is enough to make the image acquire a more or less vivid shape.”

Their symbolic language also ties in with their identity as artists. “The name Rotten Fantom appeared on December 21, 2012, which is the day of winter solstice and the shortest day of the year when everyone was expecting Doomsday to come,” they explained. “This was the beginning of something new, it turned out quite symbolic.”

Sticking mostly to black and white, their illustrations present a bleak landscape made of contrasts. Each piece is composed of tiny dots, based on the dot-work technique, which adds soft lines and semi-tones to their images. “We are comfortable with this technique and it enables us to convey the artistic concept,” the note. “We might want to try something different in the future.”

Take a look at a collection of their work in the gallery below:

The post Rotten Fantom Presents a Bleak, Mystical Reality appeared first on TettyBetty.

A juxtaposition of brushwork, text, and collage, her work is very much inspired by Japanese manga and anime aesthetic. “Many people are now familiar with kawaii or Japanese ‘cute,’” she told WOW x WOW. “I am interested in cuteness as an artistic tool. I deal with very serious and negative themes in my work. It takes a lot of bravery to face what scares us, or disgusts us, whatever is causing negativity in our lives.”

Through a combination of motifs, that show up throughout her work, she hopes to create a sort of universal language – communicating her artwork to a wide range of audiences. “I want my work to be understood based purely on the image itself, without looking at explanations or translations,” she says.

Based in Nagano, Japan, Shimoda has exhibited her work in galleries around the world, including Japan, the United States, Canada, and Europe. But you can also follow her on Instagram.

The post Hikari Shimoda’s Art is a Bit Unnerving appeared first on TettyBetty.

Some of her most remarkable pieces include recreations of horror movie settings. “I love the idea of taking some of my favorite homes and bringing them to life in miniature form to display,” she told The Daily Mini. “They are also my most challenging pieces, which in the end gives me the most satisfaction when finally complete.”

While she was always drawn to horror movies, her obsession with miniatures kicked off much later, beginning as a hobby. “I’ve been collecting 7″ figures for years, and with that I began doing toy photography for fun,” she explained. “That hobby slowly led me to the idea of creating miniature props and scale backgrounds/dioramas for more realistic photos. From that point on, I found that my love for miniatures was growing daily and this inspired me to take my ideas down a few scales.”

“My love with horror definitely began around the age of 5, when I snuck into the living room while The Exorcist was on TV,” she recalled. “My fascination overpowered the fear I felt at the time which slowly turned into an obsession: the thrill of being frightened.”

Follow her Instagram page for more:

The post Susete Saraiva’s Spooky Miniatures Are Worth the Hype appeared first on TettyBetty.

Their black and white illustrations explore existential questions, by tackling themes like life and death, often presented using a set of symbols. “Visual images created by us stem from the subconscious,” the duo shared with Jung Katz. “Everything we have seen, heard or read is accumulated and recorded somewhere at the back of mind, like an information debit. Afterward, a key phrase (or thought) is enough to make the image acquire a more or less vivid shape.”

Their symbolic language also ties in with their identity as artists. “The name Rotten Fantom appeared on December 21, 2012, which is the day of winter solstice and the shortest day of the year when everyone was expecting Doomsday to come,” they explained. “This was the beginning of something new, it turned out quite symbolic.”

Sticking mostly to black and white, their illustrations present a bleak landscape made of contrasts. Each piece is composed of tiny dots, based on the dot-work technique, which adds soft lines and semi-tones to their images. “We are comfortable with this technique and it enables us to convey the artistic concept,” the note. “We might want to try something different in the future.”

Take a look at a collection of their work in the gallery below:

The post Rotten Fantom Presents a Bleak, Mystical Reality appeared first on TettyBetty.

A juxtaposition of brushwork, text, and collage, her work is very much inspired by Japanese manga and anime aesthetic. “Many people are now familiar with kawaii or Japanese ‘cute,’” she told WOW x WOW. “I am interested in cuteness as an artistic tool. I deal with very serious and negative themes in my work. It takes a lot of bravery to face what scares us, or disgusts us, whatever is causing negativity in our lives.”

Through a combination of motifs, that show up throughout her work, she hopes to create a sort of universal language – communicating her artwork to a wide range of audiences. “I want my work to be understood based purely on the image itself, without looking at explanations or translations,” she says.

Based in Nagano, Japan, Shimoda has exhibited her work in galleries around the world, including Japan, the United States, Canada, and Europe. But you can also follow her on Instagram.

The post Hikari Shimoda’s Art is a Bit Unnerving appeared first on TettyBetty.

Some of her most remarkable pieces include recreations of horror movie settings. “I love the idea of taking some of my favorite homes and bringing them to life in miniature form to display,” she told The Daily Mini. “They are also my most challenging pieces, which in the end gives me the most satisfaction when finally complete.”

While she was always drawn to horror movies, her obsession with miniatures kicked off much later, beginning as a hobby. “I’ve been collecting 7″ figures for years, and with that I began doing toy photography for fun,” she explained. “That hobby slowly led me to the idea of creating miniature props and scale backgrounds/dioramas for more realistic photos. From that point on, I found that my love for miniatures was growing daily and this inspired me to take my ideas down a few scales.”

“My love with horror definitely began around the age of 5, when I snuck into the living room while The Exorcist was on TV,” she recalled. “My fascination overpowered the fear I felt at the time which slowly turned into an obsession: the thrill of being frightened.”

Follow her Instagram page for more:

The post Susete Saraiva’s Spooky Miniatures Are Worth the Hype appeared first on TettyBetty.