# Surreal Scarytale Illustrations The Olivia Stephan 'Matters of the Heart' Series is Haunted By Wesley Grant | Published 2011-05-22 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olivia-stephan References: [onesmallseed](http://www.onesmallseed.com/index.php/album-of-the-week-may-2011-week-03/) & [onesmallseed.net](http://www.onesmallseed.net/profile/OliviaStephan) Olivia Stephan captures the haunting thrill of surreal scarytales in her series titled Matters of the Heart which features on acrylic washes on Fabriano paper. It will take you on an exciting journey of scarily funny and controversial stories. There’s a fat girl stuffing herself with food, giant human hearts discovered by some ancient civilization and even human hearts hanging on a tree as if to portray suicide. The detail in Stephan’s illustrations is just amazing as she tries to capture a deep message in each. From her 'King of Broken Hearts Play This Game Over Again' to her 'Poisonous Solitude,' each of the titles add to the magic of the surreal scarytale themes. Olivia Stephan is a Cape Town-based freelance artist, designer and illustrator with a talent that exudes brilliantly in this series. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.3/10 - Popularity: 77% | Activity: 43% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Surreal Scarytales:** Opportunity for artists and illustrators to explore surreal horror stories and themes in their work. - **Controversial Art:** Opportunity for artists to create thought-provoking and potentially divisive art that challenges societal norms and expectations. - **Dark Fantasy:** Opportunity for writers and creators to explore the darker side of fantasy and mythology, presenting the fantastical through a frightening or eerie lens. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Illustration:** Opportunity for illustrators to create art that pushes boundaries and explores new themes and ideas, potentially appealing to collectors and galleries. - **Publishing:** Opportunity for publishers to take on edgier and more controversial works that may appeal to a niche audience. - **Film/tv Production:** Opportunity for film and television producers to explore the horror and fantasy genres in new and unique ways for audiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Artsy Surrealist Tableware](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gohar-world.md) - [Striking Urban Wildlife Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clare-allin.md) - [Human Embraced-Inspired Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wallmounted-sculpture.md) - [Curated Horror Subscriptions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-tales-of-the-weird.md) - [Glamorous Artful Bronze Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sweet-jane.md) - [Raunchy Anime-Inspired Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/manuela-soto-sosa.md) - [Otherworldly Wooden Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wooden-sculptures-1.md) - [Stunning Origami Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/origami-portaits.md)