Alexandra Box

Artist Statement

Nostalgia is deeply rooted within humankind. It manifests within fuzzy memories and stories that remind us of our childhood. I create narratives that reflect memories, utilizing anthropomorphism of animals to bring characters to life. Through illustration, these characters become your friends, rather than acquaintances you hazily recall from a dream, burrowing a home within your memory.

All of my illustrations begin with a drawing that is reflecting a sentiment or memory. Each narrative is brought to life through sketches that capture the fleeting feeling of nostalgia. Print techniques paired with watercolor allow illustrative qualities to shine through, referencing the fantasy that children’s books inspire within us all.

My work seeks to create an intimate connection to the viewer’s memory through illustration, allowing my animal characters to develop in many iterations, lending to an emergence of storybook whimsicality. I create bright and inviting settings which reflect innate desires for comfort. As a medium, watercolor allows for the characters and their homes to gleam with a childlike joy that is found within memory, instinctively demonstrating a comforting feeling. I also enjoy the endless possibilities of capturing this tenderness through printmaking, specifically lithography. In an instant, with the manipulation of haze, color, and texture, a wrinkle or blemish of the illustration can connect to the nostalgia nestled with the embrace of memory.