We talked to Bomkii because her art feels like a secret door,  textured, colorful, and always leading somewhere unexpected. We love this form of unpredictableness that makes us want to dig more, to find reasons & meaning & often, to call for our inner children to help us navigate the situation.

1. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR SOUL SING? WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

I am at my happiest when I feel like I have time. Time to spend with myself, creating art, or time to explore beautiful places with my loved ones. I’m also very happy whenever I discover a new piece of artistic media to enjoy, be it a movie, a video game, or a book.

2. A CHILDHOOD STORY THAT ANNOUNCED THE CREATIVE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY 

I still remember the day I fell in love with drawing. We were visiting family in the countryside, and the daughter of the neighboring family came to spend some time with me. I was very little, I’d say somewhere around four years old, while the girl was a little older, closer to eight. She brought out a piece of paper and taught me how to draw a “girl”, with very simple shapes - pretty much a stick figure with extra steps. To me, though, that drawing absolutely blew my mind. I couldn’t stop drawing that figure over and over, later moving on to studying illustrated magazines, trying to mimic the art styles. My favourites were the WINX and Disney Princess magazines. I think that day in my aunt’s garden was the turning point, and the start of my artistic path.

3. BEST CONTEXT EVER FOR INSPIRATION WAS

When I joined an online drawing club in 2021. I feel like having a community and a group of people to share my art with helped me grow so much in the past few years. We would share art challenges with each other, organize calls, drawing clubs… Community and other artists just inspire me a tremendous amount. 

4. THE PROJECT YOU LOVED MOST

Every project I get to work on is an amazing project to me. I’d say that this year, my favorite one had to be the Lidl starter-pack collab from back in May. It felt great to create artwork based on a trend that resonated with me as an artist, for such a huge brand.

5. THE PROJECT OTHERS LOVED MOST

If it can be considered a project - I’m happy to see that a lot of people enjoy my postcard painting workshops! I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback on the workshops I’ve organized so far, which makes me endlessly happy.

6. THE BEST THING ABOUT ROMANIAN CREATIVITY IS

…The fact that we have so much fascinating folklore to draw from. I remember childhood stories about fairies, ghouls, enchanted forests, and I feel like that shaped a lot of my vision. I find Romanian artists to be empathic and very resilient in the face of uncertainty.

7. BEST STATEMENT OF ROMANIAN HUMOR

Our irony levels tend to be off the charts! We also tend to make light of any situation with a silly joke, but there’s a deep care behind every statement.

8. ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL HEADHUNTERS, RELATED TO ROMANIAN CREATIVES

Romanian creatives work hard and put love and care into every project. We have strong opinions, but it’s all for the sake of putting out amazing, unforgettable creations!

9. BEST PLACE IN BUCHAREST

I love the Botanical Garden, especially in spring. But really, the best places for me are bookstores and specialty coffee shops. Both of them are wells of inspiration for my artist self.

10. BEST PLACE IN YOUR COUNTRY

Anywhere within the mountains. Romanian nature is something else, and it’s best seen in the Carpathian mountains. Early mornings in the forest? Nothing beats that.

11. MOST DISTURBING CLICHÉ ABOUT ROMANIA, IN THE MEDIA OUTLETS OF THE WORLD IS

That we, as a population, are “less” than the people from Western countries.

12. ROMANIA SHOULD BE KNOWN FOR
Our artists, our hardworking people and the culture we’ve built over the years in spite of all the attempts at silencing us.

13. YOUR VIEWS ON SPIRITUALITY

A bit of a complicated relationship here! I was brought up Christian-Orthodox, but my views have changed quite a lot over time. Now, I take a different approach to spirituality. I try to build a strong sense of the inner self by realizing that we’re all connected, no matter our background or religion. It may sound silly, but shifting my perspective from a “fear of God” to the thought of a more loving, universal energy, helped heal something in me.

14. YOUR VIEWS ON MONEY

In this day and age, I can’t help but feel anxious about it! Especially in slower seasons, when projects just don’t seem to materialize, I find myself stressed and worried. That’s just how it is in this line of work. Freelance has a lot of ups and downs, but there’s nothing that makes me feel more fulfilled than making an income out of doing the things that I love most.

15. AN INSPIRATION SOURCE YOU RECOMMEND FOR A YOUNG CREATIVE

Social media is full of incredible artists that share so much of their process! Besides the internet, though, in order to grow your identity as an artist - read a lot, stare at paintings, visit museums, get bored. So much inspiration and great ideas come out of being bored. I also like Pinterest, but that’s just because I managed to build a pretty neat algorithm. In any case, learn from those who came before you, and experiment as much as possible.

BIO:

Bianca is a freelance illustrator whose work blends the charm of traditional techniques with the versatility of digital art. Drawn to the fantastical, she often channels her fascination with fantasy tropes from media, literature, and art into her own creations. Her portfolio gravitates toward expressive characters and portraits, while also venturing into vibrant, textural landscapes.

Her artistic journey has been showcased in several exhibitions, including Mirinda, Creative Hacks (2021), ABC (Amivers, Bomkii, Ciocarlica) (2024), Meeting In Between with Sabina Stan (2024), and her solo exhibition Little Blue at C22 Cafeteria (2024). Most recently, her work was part of Bucuresti.zip, a group exhibition at Agenția București, held from February 21 to March 21, 2025.