

Strixxline - Polina Arteev


My name is Polina, and I am an artist! I'm a digital illustrator and designer who adores fantasy themes. You might also know me as a worldbuilder, a LARPer, and a complete nerd — both personally and professionally!
I earned my BFA from Alfred University in 2019, with a focus in expanded media, illustration, and design. I fell in love with traditional printmaking methods early in my undergrad career; I practically lived in the print shop and computer lab during my junior and senior years, and while working on my thesis exhibition and Honors program thesis project.
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Though I adored printmaking, my love for digital drawing and painting won out in the end, which led to the creation of my first self-published book: my thesis project, The Art of the Calamity: Character Design and Worldbuilding. This project was where I first kickstarted my adventures in worldbuilding and storytelling, and this mission continues to this day as I develop my world Malkora, which never stopped growing and changing.
Today, I am an artist who loves working with other nerds to bring visions to life through artwork, illustrating scenes and designing characters of many varied origins! Original characters from fantasy roleplaying games and LARPs are a favorite, and I have worked with LARP teams to illustrate and design several assets for their online experience during Covid-19 closures.
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I am available for personal commissions and commercial work in RPGs, tabletops, LARPs, books, and more!
Socials
Education
2015 - 2019
BFA Illustration & Design | NYSCC Alfred University | Alfred, NY
2016
Summer Painting Course | Santa Reparata International School of Art | Florence, Italy
Awards
2023
Cartography Award | Worldbuilding Awards 2022
Hosted by WorldAnvil, judged by Priscilla Spencer and Isaac Stewart
Most Beautiful World | Worldbuilding Awards 2022
Hosted by WorldAnvil, judged by Samantha Webb.
Self-Published Work
2019
The Art of the Calamity: Character Design and Worldbuilding
Book featuring character design, concept art, and illustration, creative writing. 80 pages.
Exchanges
2019
East Sussex Print Exchange | Hastings Art Forum | St. Leonards-on-sea, United Kingdom
2019
Verso/Recto | Between: University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada; California State University, Sacramento, California; Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow, Poland
2018
SGCI Member Print Exchange | Southern Graphics Council International | Las Vegas, NV
Exhibitions
Solo
2019
Ode to Our Calamity | Harder Hall, NYSCC Alfred University | Alfred, NY
2018
The Study of Home | Robert C. Turner Gallery | Alfred, NY
Group
2019
The Tools Don't Work But I Do | Robert C. Turner Gallery | Alfred, NY
2019
Self Portraits - Artists in Dialog (Curated by Alicia Candiani) | Fundación´ace para el Arte Contemporáneo | Buenos Aires, Argentina
2018
Alfred's Summer Bods | Robert C. Turner Gallery | Alfred, NY
2017
Livin' on a Brayer | Robert C. Turner Gallery | Alfred, NY
2016
SRISA Student Show | Santa Reparata International School of Art | Florence, Italy