Yassen Grigorov

“Everyone wants a canary, or a Dalmatian kitten, but who wants a mosquito for a pet?” Thus begins the book that illustrator Yassen Grigorov is currently working on. The main character – a mosquito – is looking for a master, an employer, or just a friend. The author Zornitsa Hristova truly had fun while writing these rhythmic, buzzing, and occasionally stinging texts in verse form. And Yassen Grigorov simply carries us away with the wild perspectives in his illustrations, with his insatiable desire to pack the scenes with important details. This repopulation with countless things fits the story perfectly – the parallel events around the main ones, the patterns and textures on the clothing, the meadows, the pavements, in the crowns of trees. The full-colour illustrations are digitally painted, using a technique similar to painting with tempera. Human characters are representative types with grotesque stylization. The movements of the figures and the looks on their faces are expressive. This book turns the hierarchies upside down, placing a small and despised insect at the centre of the world in a humorous Renaissance fashion. It is imbued with optimism, which culminates in the poem’s finale (at least for now).