Chesca Athas, her world within

This month in Après Diaries, we're under the spell of Chesca Athas. A Sydney-based artist, she toys with the delightful intimacy of drawing to create an ever-growing hyperrealistic world of her own.

Join us to peek into the illustrative magic, mindful artistry and visual coruscations of Chesca.

 

 

 

 

To properly introduce you, have you got any nicknames? 

Francesca is my full name, nickname is Chesca. Extra short is Chez or Chezzy

 

How do your family and friends describe you?

Weird... Quiet and outgoing. There’s not really an in-between. Loyal. 

 

 

 

 

 

Star sign?

Gemini

 

What are your daily rituals?

Cuddle my cat... coffee... studio... music...

 

 

 

 

Coffee order?

Long black, sometimes a strong cappuccino.

 

What do you get up to when you’re not working on something?

I love spending time with my family. I also think a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

What is your biggest inspiration? 

A lot of my inspiration comes from the everyday, filtered through a pop-culture lens. I’m drawn to romance, colour, light and the shiny, imperfect symbols of celebrity and spectacle. I love moments and objects that feel almost right but not quite - the quirky, the unsettling, the fleeting.

When I’m lacking inspiration, sometimes all it takes is a quick trip to gettyimages.com - that instant hit of glamour, fantasy, and visual excess. It’s about curated spectacle, and this shapes the way I see and create.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You've created a world of your own - where does this come from?

I’ve always been fascinated by surface and spectacle... shiny things, pretty things, and even the delightful fakeness of it all. 

Growing up with Disney films and plastic dolls, I think I developed an early love for fantasy, for worlds that were heightened, exaggerated, and unapologetically decorative. I love the drama of surfaces, the playfulness of accessories, and the way an outfit or a room can tell a story without saying a word.

Creating my own world through fashion and surroundings feels like a continuation of that early fascination, shaping spaces and selves that feel both beautiful and uniquely mine.

 

 

 

 

What are you more inspired by people or places? Why? 

This is hard... I’m inspired by both for their opposites. Places for the pure aesthetic - the colours, the lights. And people for their complexity and resilience. I guess one gives me visual energy, the other brings emotional depth.

 

Do you have any idols? 

I enjoy following famous people, and am truly fascinated by their seductive lives. However my biggest idols probably sit a lot closer to me: my sister for her passion, my mum for her kindness, my grandma for her glamour. 

 

 

 

 

 

How would you describe your personal style?

Maximalist.

 

Something you can’t live without?

The pencil! 

 

Favourite album you can currently think of? Most notable song on said album? Who or what does it remind you of? 

Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, song Runaway.
It’s messy, honest and over the top. 

 

 

 

 

Favourite pair of sunglasses you own or wish to own? 

My Balenciaga wraparounds.

 

 

 

Where did you grow up?

Sydney alongside my two older sisters and younger brother.

 

How do you think this has influenced who you are today?

Growing up in a busy home often meant shared meals, shared laughs, and shared chaos. This has really made me value togetherness. I’m lucky to have awesome parents who have always encouraged us to follow our passions and live our truth, and that sense of support and freedom has become a huge part of who I am today. 

 

Chesca's soundscape: