Chilean artist Joanne E. Hawthorn has created a tender, dreamlike universe filled with tiny guardians, medieval references, and beautifully crafted stories. Her multidisciplinary practice spans illustration, sculpture, pixel art, and worldbuilding, each piece adding another thread to the rich, atmospheric realm she’s developing. We spoke with Joanne to learn more about her creative process, the characters she brings to life, and the inspirations behind her enchanting world.
Lunara the Bat, by Joanne E. Hawthorn
1. Hello Joanne! For anyone discovering your work for the first time, please can you introduce us to your creative practice and the world you’ve created?
My work revolves around building narrative worlds of my own that I develop over long periods of time, often working in the shadows and only revealing small fragments of them. I mainly work through illustration, sculpture and pixel art, using each medium as a different way of exploring those worlds. Some stories are expressed through several mediums, while others remain, for now, in a single one, waiting for the right moment to be told.
One of the universes I have shared a little on social media is called Realm of Lullaby. I have been developing it for many years, and it is inhabited by small creatures that live among roots, moss and ancient moorlands. They are small and vulnerable creatures that survive because they still find value in the beauty of the world they inhabit and in the beings that live within it, and because it is worth fighting for them. It is a place where everyday moments gain meaning and where even the most fragile beings possess a quiet form of courage. In some way, it reflects something many humans feel while inhabiting the earth.
Through my works, I try to build fragments of that world, its characters, tools and landscapes, as if they were small windows into a much larger story, only a glimpse of what truly exists behind it.
Nightshade Lullaby by Joanne E. Hawthorn
2. You’ve built a fascinating and rich world full of amazing characters and stories. Are your characters fully formed in personality and appearance before you begin rendering them into an artwork, or do their features and histories tend to change or reveal themselves as you work?
Much of who my characters become is discovered during the process, although there is always an initial inspiration that comes from the world I am creating. I usually begin with some indications, but it is really while finishing an illustration or sculpture that their personalities begin to take shape.
I find this fascinating because it is very different from the way I work when sharing pieces on social media compared to when I work 'in the shadows,' as I like to say. When I work privately, I design my characters much more deeply, since they must follow the internal narrative of the world and each one has their own story. What I share on Instagram works more as a practice and also as a small glimpse of what exists behind the scenes.
The Wanderer by Joanne E. Hawthorn
3. With a piece like The Wanderer, which depicts one of your characters surrounded by their belongings, how do you choose the small items that accompany them and help build their story?
For me, this is a fascinating process, from choosing the items a character will carry to defining the color palette I will use.
Since childhood, around the age of seven or eight, I have had a deep fascination with fantasy worlds. At that age, I began playing many kinds of pixel art games, but the ones that captivated me the most were RPGs. In those games, I could see how a story was built and progressed through the many items you collected along the journey.
All of this has become a strong source of inspiration for my more recent illustrations. I enjoy creating scenes where the objects surrounding a character help tell part of their story. When you observe these small elements, you begin to imagine who that character is, what their life might be like, and what kind of journey they are on.
Thornelm the Hedgehog by Joanne E. Hawthorn
Thornelm the Hedgehog by Joanne E. Hawthorn
4. When you create a sculpture like Thornhelm the Hedgehog, do you approach their costume, posture, and overall design in the same way you would if you were illustrating them, or does sculpting lead you somewhere different?
The process is quite different because when I work in sculpture, I have to adapt to scale, techniques and materials. In that sense, the work becomes more technical.
Very often, I only truly discover the final result when the piece is finished, which is also part of what fascinates me about sculpture. Sometimes I imagine the character in one way, and the final result turns out quite different from what I expected, but that surprise is often one of the most rewarding parts of the process.
Joanne E. Hawthorn's studio
5. Alongside illustration and sculpture, you’re also a pixel art game developer. Can you tell us about your game development project?
I have always dreamed of creating my own stories, and a few years ago, I began developing my first pixel art game in order to tell a story that is completely separate from the illustrations of Realm of Lullaby, although in the future, I would love to transform that universe into a game as well.
Currently, much of my time goes into developing this project: its world, characters, story, programming and music. Because of this, I have had to set sculpture aside for a while (but not completely, because in the shadows, I'm building a secret project that is completely sculpted) and also reduce some of my illustration work.
It is a very large project creatively and in terms of time, and it may take several years to complete since I am developing it on my own. Still, it is one of my greatest dreams to see it published someday. In the future, I would also love to create a company dedicated to developing video games based on the different worlds I continue to build in my list of projects and dreams.
Otter Portrait by Joanne E. Hawthorn
6. Your work has a clear medieval spirit, from the style of clothing and armour to the small relic-like objects you craft. Where do you draw inspiration from? Do you look to medieval art, manuscripts, and folklore, or do contemporary sources influence you too? And are there any works you return to?
I have always read epic fantasy, and many of the games I played in childhood carried a medieval aesthetic, so that attraction to the medieval, fantastical and epic worlds is deeply rooted in me.
I always return to Tolkien’s stories. I also love worlds like Forgotten Realms, The Dark Crystal, Redwall and many others that I revisit again and again.
7. When people engage with your work, whether through your sculptures, your illustrations, or your tutorials, what do you hope they’ll take away from the experience?
More than anything, I hope people experience a sense of quiet wonder when they encounter my work.
The worlds I build contain darkness, but they are also filled with small gestures of care, resilience and hope. I am interested in the idea that even the most fragile creatures can carry within them a form of quiet strength. When the stories of these worlds are eventually told more completely, I hope that those who feel inspired by them might also discover a sense of hope that resonates with real life.
The Wanderer Antechinus by Joanne E. Hawthorn
8. Looking ahead, are there any projects, techniques or ideas that you’d love to explore in the future?
Yes, there are many projects that I develop slowly, almost like assembling a puzzle. I place pieces little by little while focusing most of my time on two worlds that I would like to bring to life first.
At the same time, there are many ideas I would love to explore in the future. Some are still connected to fantasy, such as creating a handcrafted puppet show inspired by these worlds, or even developing board games of these worlds of mine.
The Pagan by Joanne E. Hawthorn
9. For artists hoping to create their own imaginative universes, what advice would you give to help them build a world that feels true and alive?
I think the most important thing is to spend time truly living inside the world you are creating. A believable world does not appear all at once; it grows slowly as you begin to understand its landscapes, its creatures, and the small details that shape everyday life within it. For me, worldbuilding often happens quietly in the background over many years. I have some stories that I've been building for twenty years. I imagine how people or creatures live, what tools they use, what their homes look like, and what kinds of stories might unfold in those places. Even the smallest details can help make a world feel real.
It is also important not to rush the process. Allow the world to evolve naturally, and let curiosity guide you. Over time, as you continue to return to it and explore it from different angles, the world begins to gain its own sense of history and atmosphere.
Badger Portrait by Joanne E. Hawthorn
10. Finally, is there a book (art-related or otherwise!) that’s had a lasting impact on you or your creative process?
The works of J.R.R. Tolkien have had a lasting influence on me. What has always inspired me most is the depth of the worlds he created, not only the stories themselves, but the languages, histories, landscapes and cultures that exist behind them. It showed me that a fictional world can feel almost as complex and alive as our own.
I also grew up deeply inspired by the world of Forgotten Realms, as well as works like Redwall and The Dark Crystal, there are so many others to list them here. These worlds combine storytelling, creatures and atmosphere in a way that strongly shaped my imagination.
More than specific techniques, these works inspired me to think about storytelling as something expansive, a place where art, narrative and worldbuilding can come together to create immersive and meaningful worlds.
Thank you for speaking with us today Joanne, we're very excited to learn more about the wonderful world you've created as it evolves and grows.
