If you have a soft spot for illustrators who enjoy exploring whimsical new worlds through their art, Djamila Knopf is about to become your new favorite. Fantasy and reality seamlessly blend in her art to create new worlds that we can only visit in our daydreams.
With 500,000 Instagram followers under her belt, Knopf is one of the most popular illustrators on this social media platform. She’s based in Leipzig, Germany, and her art is heavily influenced by Japanese animation and such artists as Tran Nguyen and Amei Zhao.
Knopf wants her art to evoke a sense of wonder and nostalgia, and her dreamlike illustrations are simultaneously filled with brightness and darkness, capturing the balance between the real and imaginary world.
“If you want to be transported into a world where fantasy and reality blend into one another and that feels strange, yet familiar, you might enjoy my work. The scenes I’m painting are the counterpart to our modern, hectic society: places of quiet contemplation, where nature prevails over concrete,” explains Knopf on her official website.
In addition to sharing her illustrations with the world, Knopf is also encouraging others to follow in her footsteps through her online classes. She also published a book of her illustrations called Komorebi: The Art of Djamila Knopf.
