Júlia Balla
MA design student
Illustration and videodocumentation.
Bremen, Germany // Budapest, Hungary
I often imagine that I’m not even a visual artist, but a detective – entangling stories and discovering new connections. My source of inspiration as a visual artist is the beauty I see while observing the world, and the beauty I’m experiencing while living my life.
I approach stories in my work with empathy and kindness.
When it comes to illustration, my favorite subject is human emotion. Whether it’s joy or sorrow, I welcome them all. Through my drawings I strive to create an easily accessible visual language – one that creates space for reflecting and makes more difficult or sensitive topics feel lighter and easier to engage with. In the recent years, I’ve collaborated with mental health-focused organizations and created work for music bands.
In my videodocumentation work, these same values – empathy, curiosity and storytelling – remain just as important for me. My past projects have focused on documenting social and artistic projects, as well as supporting NGOs by documenting their EU-funded educational events for youth.
Whether it’s through illustration or a video, whether I’m holding a pen or a camera – I love using life as a resource. My goal is to give visibility to stories, thoughts, and opportunities that often go unseen.
Pursuing international learning opportunities opened doors for me to participate in student programs at creative festivals in Cannes, Copenhagen and Bremen, as well as trainings in Spain and Budapest. My illustrations reached thousands of young adults online through social media, and I’m currently working on my first illustration book – I hope continue connecting with more people in the analog world as well.