🌊UNDERWATER CASTLES SERIES: Magical world deep beneath the ocean

Some artworks from UNDERWATER CASTLES SERIES: Coral Garden diptych, Lost Atlantis quadriptych, Underwater Kingdom diptych, White Corals triptych, mixed media on paper, the size of each artwork without mat and frame is 29.5 x 20.7cm | 11.4 x 7.9 in

This series was inspired by the sea, its underwater inhabitants, and the hidden treasures resting beneath the surface.

The idea came from a very personal experience. My daughter loves swimming with a mask and exploring whatever she can find underwater. I was always the opposite. I preferred looking at the sea from above: watching the movement of the waves, the reflections of sunlight, and the ever-changing surfuce. One day, however, my daughter insisted that I put on a mask and give it a try. Reluctantly, I agreed.

To my surprise, I found myself entering a fascinating new world. Small schools of fish, seaweed swaying with the current, rippled sand on the seabed... Everything felt magical, as if it existed in its own separate universe.

«It's an entire universe down here,» I thought.

And this wasn't a tropical coral reef. It was just an ordinary beach. Yet it filled me with such wonder. I started imagining what it must feel like to dive with professional scuba gear, discovering shipwrecks, underwater caves, and, of course, magnificent coral reefs. In my imagination, those shipwrecks became mysterious underwater castles, reclaimed by the sea and brought back to life by corals and marine creatures. That experience became the starting point for my abstract series, UNDERWATER CASTLES.

The works celebrate the sense of discovery waiting beneath the surface: an entire hidden universe filled with the remains of forgotten ships, fantastical coral formations, and mysterious marine life.

Three stylish living spaces with framed blue coastal artworks

To create these pieces, I used hand-crocheted cotton lace, whose intricate texture beautifully echoes the forms of corals, sea creatures, and even the skeletal remains of sunken ships. I also incorporated fragments of natural linen and denim, which I painted over with acrylics to create layered, tactile surfaces. Finally, I added collage elements made from my own hand-crafted oil-marbled paper in shades of blue and turquoise, reflecting the richness, movement, and diversity of life beneath the sea.

Lost Atlantis artwork and close-up craft process of it creating with hand-crocheted cotton lace and oil-marbled paper

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