Sia Bulgakova is an artist based in Kaliningrad. At 18 years old, Bulgakova left her hometown to pursue a medical degree, graduating in parasitology, the study of parasites, but art soon became her main focus in life. Her “mini stories” incorporate self-portraiture, costume design, props, handcrafts, stop motion and animation, and look to send a message of hope, compassion and love. Sia Bulgakova’s stop-motion animations—created using a combination of self-portraiture, costume design, props, handcrafts and animation—have garnered a lot of attention on social media. She hopes her short fairytale scenes can send a message of compassion, happiness and joy, and “give people their love for this world back.”

All of Bulgakova’s ideas start with an image in her mind which she describes as a “visual flash.” “But these images are superimposed on feelings or events that have been spinning in my head for some time that I’d like to speak out about,” she explains. “When I feel the idea maturing, I immediately write down the thoughts and images that come up so that I can work it out in more detail later. If everything that came up resonates with me, then I rejoice like a child and think: ‘God, this is so cool!’” And then she gets to work.  “The key detail of all my work is the props around which I create a story,” Bulgakova says. “I use various techniques to build them: papier-mâché, embroidery, sewing, designs made of paper, cardboard and wire, and many improvised means.” She teaches herself whatever skills she needs but doesn’t yet know how to do. After planning a detailed storyboard for the animation, she briefs collaborators: a stylist who helps her source the clothes for her vision and a make-up artist. She photographs each frame on a blank backdrop and brings them together, digitally adding the background and animated elements she’s made (flowers, butterflies, birds). It takes about 100-150 frames for a five-second animation, and can take between two weeks and a month to complete a project from scratch.