At first glance, Kuroi’s works — or her designs of beautiful women with flowers in their flowing hair — appear as strangely whimsical and ethereal creatures. However, upon a deeper look, the women in the designs also reveal a fierce energy that bubbles to the surface and makes them unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Although Barbara, aka Kuroi, is from Wroclaw, Poland she jokes that “home” is wherever she can “work peacefully in my comfy clothes.” When at home, she always has her sketchbook nearby because it helps her “relax” and she wants to have her ideas available at her fingertips. Barbara finds inspiration from the world around her and “all things that appeal to me visually.” She often lets ideas “grow” in her head before she sits down to make them into a reality on paper.

Kuroi’s favorite piece of work is by the local Polish artist Marcianek. However, she would also love to meet Alphonse Mucha and shares, “he was the first artist that really influenced me and his works helped me shape my own style.” She believes that finding a distinct style is important and that — although asking others for advice on a project is helpful — she feels, “there is something special about keeping the work to myself before anybody else sees it.” She shares that she won’t push herself to finish a project before it is ready but, instead, will take time away and return to it later if she is having trouble.

Kuroi has enjoyed drawing since she was “a little kid” but she never considered pursuing art professionally until her friend encouraged her to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. Currently, she is illustrating a weekly web comic called “Down to Earth” with a friend as well. However, in the future she doesn’t “really have a big plan” but she is excited to continue improving her skills and she knows “my inner perfectionist has to make sure my art looks ‘good’ enough.”