Alyna Santos Bodart

I am interested in telling stories through my work surrounding animals and their relationship to mythology, magic, and folklore. I grew up in a rural, forested environment, so I was always surrounded by animals and nature, as well as household pets. I have always been fascinated by their inner world, and honestly, I have always viewed them as people in different forms.

I often draw these inner worlds through illustration, either in charcoal, pastels, or digital media. I evoke this magic that I feel around animals by specifically focusing on subjects such as familiars and beasts from folklore, who are inherently associated with mysticism. One of my goals is to do further research on folklore animals and creatures in my work. For instance, my portfolio piece, “Drinking, Not Drunk” is centered on a nekomata, a creature from Japanese folklore, and this piece is a part of an ongoing narrative project of mine. This type of yokai is a mischievous shapeshifter, and they are often known for shapeshifting between their usual catlike form and human appearances. I drew the lineart in Adobe Photoshop and colored and shaded in Procreate.

I also use my animal subjects to reflect on topics personal to me and are often thought of as “human,” such as coming of age in a world that makes it difficult to be one’s authentic self. Growing up, I struggled with my self-worth and social anxiety, and one artist that inspired me to tackle that in my work is Dana Terrace. Her animated series, The Owl House, inspires its viewers to be themselves. As she stated in an interview, “…I feel like art and expression can’t and shouldn’t be hindered, and we try to explore that through the magic. We try to explore that through Luz.”

For inquiries, feel free to direct message me @night.neko on Instagram.