At just 21-years-old, Alina Gibadullina has developed outstanding skills in the creation of her extremely detailed oil paintings of notable album covers. Alina deeply admires artists like Kali Uchis, Slow Thai and Anime, which she pays homage to through her art. As a result, her talents have been recognized by many musicians, and she even collaborated with Anime on his 2020 ‘VINYLS + COMPENSATING’ merch drop, where her graphic was printed on one of his shirts.
For six years now, Alina has been advancing her painting skills. She shares her art on Instagram to a strong fan base that marvels over her highly detailed and superb artistic skills. This is only the beginning for Alina, and we can expect to see greater opportunities and recognition granted to her in the future.
Sheesh Magazine chatted with Alina Gibadullina about her favorite albums, future projects, and all things art.
Q: Who first inspired you to start creating art?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “I have to thank my parents who made me go to art school.”
Q: How long have you been painting for?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “In general for six years, but all my cover art works I’ve been painting for three years now.”
Q: Do you explore other forms of art rather than oil painting?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “Yes of course, I use gouache, watercolor and pencils. I’m working with collages and putting them into my work.”
Q: You focus on creating mostly hip-hop album artwork. Is hip-hop your favourite genre of music?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “I just realized that there are mostly hip-hop albums and artists, but no. I’ve been listening to old school hip-hop and R&B since I was a kid, so these are two favorites. I’d say that now I like R&B more.”
Q: What are some of your favourite albums?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “Isolation by Kali Uchis, Blonde by Frank Ocean & good kid, m.A.A.d. city by Kendrick Lamar.”
Q: Who are some of your favourite artists?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “Kendrick Lamar, Kali Uchis, The Pharcyde, Kaytranada, Aminé and Brent Faiyaz. It is really hard to choose because I listen to too much music, but these are the ones I can listen to every single day on repeat.”
Q: What albums are you planning on creating in the future?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “I have a whole list of albums I want to paint. There’s A$AP Rocky, 2Pac, Outkast, The Weeknd and Solange.”
Q: What is your favourite album artwork you have created?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: Blonde by Frank Ocean. It’s my first painting in hyperrealism, I painted all these details. I enjoyed the long process of drawing and listened to this album on repeat. This work is associated with a special period and person in my life and means a lot. And this album is just one of my favorites.”
Q: How long does the process of painting these albums go for?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “It depends on the details, on my idea. Usually it takes five to seven days”
Q: What’s your life motto or mantra you live by?
ALINA GIBADULLINA: “Well, dreary as it sounds, there will always be people who will support you and believe in you, but the main thing is that you believe in yourself and continue to improve your personality and skills.”
Want to check out more talented visual artists inspired by music? Check out our Q&A with the Mastermind Behind Tom’s Design Vault.
