ISALU ISHII

IsaLu Ishii is an Italian language and literature graduate from Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, Bulgaria, with a background in interpretation and translation. After several years working in the field, she moved to the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence, where she lived for five years.

Later, ready for a change and a new adventure, she took a leap of faith and relocated to London - a city she had never visited before and whose language she didn’t speak (she had studied French and Russian at school). Since then, London has become home and the place that reignited what she thought was a lost inspiration to create.

Although she spent countless hours drawing as a child, she abandoned her artistic side in her teenage years, frustrated by what she perceived as a lack of distinctive style and voice. After a few years in London, and decades of not touching a pencil, she embarked on a creative exploration, starting with layered papercut portraits. That process gave birth to her Blue Boys series, where those scarlet lips made their first appearance.

She currently works in mixed media, with a focus on the male body as a central subject. Her work explores muscled, powerful figures that often reveal a contrasting tenderness and flamboyant charm, playing with ideas of strength, vulnerability, and allure. Her art continues to evolve as she explores a variety of media, but one constant remains: it is a blend of colour and whimsy, created with the intention to amuse and make people smile. What you see is what you see - no hidden messages to be found!!

Ribbons 'n' Flair