INTERVIEW

The Art of Fine Desserts

Illustrator and animator, Sofia Iva, has created a delectable new series of self-initiated work, a study of fine desserts and the edible art found in nature.

Created in her signature style and with select pieces brought to life with animation, Sofia peacefully contructs and deconstructs a selection of beautiful desserts and cakes. Each sets forth a quiet connection to nature, hinting at the endless cycle of life, and the curious beauty found in the natural world from fresh Cypriot lemons to edible flowers.

We spoke to Sofia about how she went about creating these mesmeric pieces, presenting objects in a new light, her favourite sweet treat, and more.

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Creating a series or a collection of illustrations for me is like creating a unique world where all the details have their place, function, and meaning.

– Sofia Iva

Lemon

First up, what was the inspiration behind the series?

It all started when my friend brought me a dessert, which was a little lemon cake. He said it reminded him of my illustrations (I often use yellow in my works, as I like the feeling it evokes). Before that, I created an illustration with a lemon that later on turned into an animation. Living in Cyprus means almost all year round being surrounded by lemons, their smell, and their vibrant color. This illustration came to be sunny, cheerful, and at the same time gentle and creative, which I love.

Later I came up with the idea of a series of drawings as it perfectly combines things that I love: beautiful desserts that are like works of art, and flowers. After a bit of research, I learned a lot about edible flowers and I fell in love with the idea of growing flowers in the garden and bringing them to the kitchen.

What I like the most about using delicate petals is that the main purpose of these flowers is to make your dish more beautiful, it’s almost like food for your eyes and soul.

I think I'll call this series Flowers on a Plate. It will show the flowers as they grow in the garden and as a part of a beautiful cake. I decided to start with classics and hopefully, I extend this series in the future with other edible flowers.

You often describe yourself as an observer and a researcher as well as an artist, which I think comes across in your compositions – can you tell us about that?

People can develop and learn new things by being curious. The desire to know the unknown and look beyond the surface leads to discoveries. And this desire can confront us with something incredibly beautiful.

My creative process is similar to that of researchers examining a new and exciting find. Before I start drawing I look at every object with curiosity. I pretend like I see it for the first time in my life. To convey the uniqueness of each object, I thoroughly study its structure, appearance, and characteristic features of it and look for the best visual approach to reflect my feelings. I treat the smallest flower as a jewel, almost like a museum object that is put to exhibit wearing white gloves.

Creating a series or a collection of illustrations for me is like creating a unique world where all the details have their place, function, and meaning. It’s probably a result of my love for Natural History Museums and cabinets of natural curiosities.

Calendula

We love the way you use light in your drawings, are you looking to achieve a particular mood or feeling?

I use a beige background for most of my works as it’s not too harsh, it’s not too bright, and it’s warm and welcoming. And all the colours that are applied on top of it take on these characteristics as I make them transparent, similar to how you would do it when drawing with real watercolors.

I always want my work to reflect peacefulness, kindness, and playfulness. I aim to create work that is just there, it exists and does not seek attention. It lets the viewer be present and enjoy the small things in life. It is about having less, not more.

The animation has a cyclical feel, can you tell us more about that?

When creating animations, I often aim to create a meditative feeling. That’s why I like the idea of a looping animation, where the animated sequence loops endlessly. The cyclical feel echoes nature. There are things (like fire or water) that are so mesmerizing that you can watch them forever. Nothing in this world is consistent, everything is always moving or growing and I find a lot of profound meaning in it.

Rose

And finally, what is your favourite dessert?!

It’s hard to pick :) I love macarons as there are so many different flavors and I always enjoy tasting new ones.

Links

www.grandmatter.com/sofiaiva

About Sofia Iva

Sofia is a multidisciplinary illustrator and animator based in Cyprus. Her delicate and refined hand crafted pieces are often inspired by nature, and invoke a sense of curiosity and imagination. Sofia works across a wide variety of sectors from fashion & lifestyle to museums and interior.

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