2023 Illustration of the Year Winner Sejuti Bala
Thank you Sejuti Bala, for your wonderful submission to the SLF’s 2023 Illustration of the Year, “Cosmic Swimmers.” Look for Bala’s artwork on our site, as well as future SLF newsletters, promo, and other content!
“I have always thought of deep sea and deep space as two ends of a vast unknown; as above so below, compelling depths of boundless beauty that humanity has barely explored a fraction of. To an astronaut the vacuum of space is the frontier of setting sail, and in this piece, I imagine a lost astronaut, an untethered explorer and the awe of getting to hold the miracle of a star in your hands, to be one with the particle of possibility, to swim with the fishes. How long has the cosmic sailor been here? Caught in the undertow of a perennial wave? What lives in that shell of a space-suit? I leave the rest to your imagination.”
— Bala on the inspiration behind “Cosmic Swimmers”
Sejuti Bala is a writer and a student of English Literature who spends their time arranging for and taking care of the older stray animals in their neighbourhood. When not busy tending to the whims of their beloved cat, they can be found reading graphic novels with a copy of Ancillary Justice tucked under their arm. They are an avid fan of horror stories with the hope of publishing their own science-fiction graphic novel someday.
For those looking for more of Bala’s art, check them out on Twitter @fiovske and on artstation.
And a deep thanks to all the other artists who submitted to this year’s Call for Artists!
