Ipek Davaz - Illustrations

ILLUSTRATIONS

Project Type

Illustrations

My Role

Project Management

Creative Direction

Art Direction

OVERVIEW

My illustration work is rooted in surrealism, imagination, and a lifelong fascination with the fantastical. Growing up in historic Ellicott City, Maryland, I was surrounded by an environment that felt almost pulled from a storybook. One of my favorite places was and continues to be The Forget-Me-Not Factory, a three-story mom-and-pop shop filled with vintage fairy-tale memorabilia, curious objects, and fantastical creatures tucked into nearly every corner. That immersive world of make-believe left a lasting impression on me and continues to influence the way I approach illustration today.

Drawing inspiration from surrealist art, 1960s psychedelic culture, and Jefferson Airplane’s iconic song “White Rabbit,” I have explored a variety of mixed-media techniques and visual styles to create imaginative, dreamlike compositions.

Alice in Wonderland has been a particularly enduring source of inspiration, and these pieces are my own visual interpretations of scenes from Lewis Carroll’s classic tale. Through playful typography, hand-drawn elements, collage, texture, and unexpected imagery, I use illustration as a way to explore the strange, whimsical, and limitless possibilities of the imagination.

Sometimes, you’ve got to fall down the rabbit hole.

Surrender yourself to the unknown and trust wherever the journey may lead. We often hold ourselves back because of a fear of failure, uncertainty, or change. The unfamiliar can be intimidating, especially when we can’t see where it will take us. But sometimes, getting lost is exactly how we find ourselves.

Falling down the rabbit hole is about embracing the vulnerability that comes with change and allowing ourselves the freedom to learn, grow, and evolve. It means stepping outside of what feels safe and familiar, even when we don’t know what awaits us on the other side.

It can be frightening to take that leap, but the experiences that challenge us are often the ones that shape us most. And when we finally find our way out of the rabbit hole, we may discover that we’ve become stronger, braver, and more fully ourselves along the way.