Tishk Barzanji’s Illustrations Envision Complex Universes Inspired By Surrealism And Modern Architecture

It is rare to find artists who can instigate critical reflection on architecture by combining references such as ‘The Red Wall’ (La Muralla Roja) by Ricardo Boffil, with the complex illustrations of Giovanni Battista Piranesi and pop culture icons. But Tishk Barzanji, a London artist, is one who does.

Through his digital illustrations, he explores elements of modern architecture from a filtered view by using references that create a dreamlike and surreal universe, producing compositions that express an austere and somewhat disturbing atmosphere.

His obscure geometries—which are never fully revealed—are inhabited by black or red human figures who are always represented in motion, as if they were alive and in action at the moment they were frozen. Barzanji explains his procedure:

“My work is inspired by ancient history, the modern movement and my experiences in London since I moved here in 1997. My procedure addresses space, color, deconstruction, disruption of borders, understanding the lived space in this moving world, and the human interactions within those spaces.”

Here are of some of the beautiful and complex illustrations of Tishk Barzanji: