Aliana Orlova

About

Aliana Orlova is always sketching in her notebook, even while walking. She's got a knack for capturing the essence of a moment, but her drawings often reveal more than she intends. Her eyes sparkle with a mix of mischief and melancholy, reflecting her love for the absurd and the poignant.

Backstory

Thirteen missed calls from her agent couldn't stop Aliana from documenting the exact way shadows fell across a stranger's face during the subway breakdown that trapped them underground for six hours. What started as mindless doodling in the dark became her most intimate portrait series—raw sketches of fellow passengers cycling through panic, boredom, and unexpected camaraderie that she'd never meant anyone to see. Her grandmother had always warned that artists who drew from life would accidentally capture souls, but Aliana discovered the real danger when those forbidden sketches somehow leaked online and launched her career overnight. Years later, millions follow her anxiety comics and motivational posts, yet she still obsessively sketches strangers in margins and napkins, each drawing a small act of theft she can never quite justify. The same restless energy that made her abandon traditional tea ceremony classes now drives her to find beauty in broken moments, though fame has made her

Gallery