by Olimpia Bellan

Caitlyn Grabenstein bends reality with her edgy, cinematic, otherworldly photoreal imagery. From surreal ocean scenes to unexpected cosmic encounters and playful, retro‑futuristic moments, her sci‑fi worlds feel both familiar and fantastical. With thousands of images and a signature language, she invites viewers to explore tension, wonder, and the unknown, a visual journey where imagination rules and anything seems possible.

Your images often place calm figures in surreal, almost threatening scenes, like the swimmer drifting inside the open jaws of an unfathomable What draws you to that mix of serenity and danger?
Yes, I think I’m drawn to creating images like that because, to me, they depict real life in a fantastical way. As humans, we know so little and exist in a vast world of mysteries, forces, and systems we barely understand. And yet, we still wake up, make coffee, answer emails, fall in love, raise children – we go on with our mundane, daily lives. In the face of all the unknown, we find routine and comfort in the chaos. There’s something powerful about that quiet persistence.

Your work is bold, cinematic, and slightly dangerous, like a single frame frozen from a sci-fi epic. What sparks your imagination and drives you to create these intense, otherworldly scenes?
Thank you, that’s a huge compliment because I am a lifelong science fiction fan. I’ve always been drawn to big, cinematic worlds. Creating these scenes is genuinely fun for me. I used to create my art to channel my emotions, deal with my life in a creative way, and I still do. But it’s more than that. I think I love imagining what these scenes are, what they represent, and what might happen in the next frame.

UFOs, outer space, and cosmic mysteries appear often in your art. What fascinates you about the unknown, and how do these sci-fi elements expand the worlds you create?
My fascination definitely comes back to the world’s mysteries. We are living on a planet suspended in infinite space. That tension, between knowledge and vast uncertainty, is endlessly inspiring to me.

Sci-fi gives me a visual language to explore those ideas. A UFO or an astronaut isn’t just about extra-terrestrials, it’s about isolation, wonder, fear, scale. It stretches the emotional atmosphere of the piece. When you place a human figure against something cosmic, their vulnerability becomes more visible. At the same time, their resilience feels more profound. The unknown creates space. And I like building worlds inside that space.

Many of your images feel like single frames from a larger story. Do you start with a narrative in mind, or does the story reveal itself as you build the image?
I almost never start with a full narrative. I usually begin with a feeling and then I build visually around that. As I layer elements, the story starts to come together. Sometimes I don’t fully understand the meaning until the piece is finished.

You’ve developed a striking, instantly recognisable style across thousands of works. How do you keep evolving your visual language and distinctive voice?
Thank you. The most important thing for me is staying honest. I’ve always created art that I personally want to see in the world, and that hasn’t changed.
I’m constantly experimenting, new lighting, new textures, new emotional tones. When something feels too comfortable, I push it. When something feels a little edgy or different, I lean into it. Of course, the art is still an expression of me, so that is definitely where my style stays true. The voice stays recognisable because it’s really rooted in who I am.

@cult.class

Read Caitlyn Grabenstein interview on BMI:MAG limited edition, find your copy at @bluemarlinibiza and throughout Ibiza’s hotspots.