ABOUT LAZARE GVIMRADZE
Credits: @legionofpotatoes on Instagram
Lazare Gvimradze (he/him) is a digital artist based in Georgia. He has loved drawing since he was a kid, and he was fortunate to have that drive nurtured by his upbringing.
Ultimately, he chose not to attend art school but, after many years as a hobbyist, pursued a career as a professional illustrator in 2021, sharing fan art across various communities and learning as much as possible along the way.
"Gaining a foothold in the emerging age of social media was definitely a unique challenge, but focusing on and sticking to my passion for drawing paid off in the long run."
He primarily creates digital illustrations, working on a portable tablet with a small selection of programs that comprise his workflow and a stack of sketch-filled notepads behind the scenes.
Where do you find inspiration
for your designs?
In two places. Firstly, I love storytelling, and drawing is the most fulfilling way that I can personally celebrate it. I find it in movies, books, games, popular culture - anything that reflects deep humanity while cloaked in heightened aesthetics. That is one half of my inspiration; the other certainly comes from obsessing over artists both old and new - celebrating their voice, studying their work, and deconstructing their approaches. Both of these wells are endless sources of inspiration, informing both my body of work and the constantly-evolving bag of tools I use to sustain it.
Do you have a favorite piece of art you've created to date? What makes it special to you?
I have always had a soft spot for the nebulous storytelling potential of video games, where writing is married with direct, personal agency. Mass Effect is one of my favorite stories of all time, and I have spent endless hours drawing and celebrating its characters, plots, and worlds. I worked on a number of projects with the game's community teams over the years, but an ongoing personal series where I illustrate cheeky postcards for its many uncharted worlds is a particular point of pride for me.
LAZARE GVIMRADZE X OWLCRATE
Lazare Gvimradze (@legionofpotatoes) is the artist behind:
- The travel print set, featured in our special Limited Edition The Raven Boys Anniversary Box back in December 2022.
- The A Darker Shade of Magic inspired pen, which was featured in our May 2024 ‘Traverse the Realms’ Young Adult Fantasy subscription box.
- The Literary Location Postcards Set, which was on sale as part of our Morally Gray Friday weekend in 2024.
“I have worked with OwlCrate a few times, but our latest collaboration for a set of literary postcards was definitely a high point. Having had a particular itch to reinterpret Howl's Moving Castle for a while, the opportunity to do it in a romantic postcard style was really special. I remember telling the team that I felt like it was the prettiest thing I had ever done, and I still stand by that.”
What are some of your favorite
books or authors?
I adore Tolkien, and his words have been a comfort forever. Anytime a project even remotely adjacent to The Lord of the Rings crosses my radar, I chase it down feverishly.
