illustrations on violence, observation, and community by milan rafaelov

Web/Blog member and Cal student Milan Rafaelov is an illustrator who primarily draws in Adobe Fresco. Below are Rafaelov's "Study in Violence 1 & 2" (2021) and "Bukharian Jewish couple" (2021), with commentary by the artist.

Study in Violence 1 (2021). Drawn in Adobe Fresco.

Study in Violence 2 (2021). Drawn in Adobe Fresco.

These paired illustrations explore the different faces of violence. The first illustration depicts a butterfly that has been delicately pinned and displayed. It’s scientific and somewhat superficial, which helps digest the quiet and sanitized violence. The second image does not hide its violence and draws attention by brute force. A man's leg is ripped through by a charging bull, while onlookers watch, unable to help. The contrast of restraint and carnage asks: Where does observation itself embody violence, and when is it a tragedy? 

Bukharian Jewish couple (2021). Drawn in Adobe Fresco.

I found a photo of a Bukharian couple in traditional robes and was drawn to the colors, movement in the patterns, and lines. I'm half Bukhari, so what caught my attention was the nostalgia. These robes show up during big celebrations like weddings or high holidays, flooding dance floors and living rooms in drunken bright colors and shiny beads. Fast music playing and people spinning in dance. 
Being half of anything comes with conditions of distance, and even though it feels familiar, it also feels like something I'm still trying to understand. The beehive over the man's head started as a coincidence. I just thought his headwrap looked kind of like a beehive. But I think it could symbolize how being part of a small community can feel like being connected to something bigger, even when you're not sure how close you are to it.