The natural world gets a glam makeover in Rania Esstafa’s sensual illustrations

With blooming flowers, ripe pomegranates, luscious leaves and glossy bodies of water, it’s not surprising to hear that Rania Esstafa’s greatest inspiration is sourced from the natural world. But, in Rania’s work, this passion for the natural world is intertwined with a number of her other interests. Themes like fashion photography, jewellery design, and sci-fi visuals of the 70s and 80s mean her plants and flowers are finished with shine, sparkles and a heavy dose of hazy airbrush, giving them what she describes as a “glam and sensual feel”.

In her works, Rania aims to evoke a “meditative state of being”, creating a sensation that is simultaneously strange and safe. “I like to visually translate images of the subconscious, materialising feelings that one can get when dreaming, meditating, being in your own bubble for a while,” the illustrator says. “I think that stems from personal wonder of life, and all the things that surround it.”