Art and Culture
AI Creator Ilona Brazhnik on Kazakh Myths and Creative Freedom
October 31, 2025 - @ilona_brazhnik
Ten years ago, Alena Brazhnikova was known for fine-line tattoos in Karaganda. Today, as Ilona Brazhnik, she's animating mermaids, Zvezdy, knights, and mythic girls with hooves and wings-stories that feel ancient, rendered with modern tools.
From ink to pixels
She started fast. In a city full of bold "old school" tattoos, she brought fine lines and dot shading inspired by European artists. One online ad turned into a three-month waitlist, simply because the work looked different.
She still prefers subtlety-thin lines, soft dots, depth without shouting. Motifs rotate by design so the work stays alive.
The tattoo wave settled
The frenzy faded. "Everyone's doing it" gave way to careful, thoughtful choices about what belongs on skin. That shift started around eight years ago and never flipped back.
Why AI video
She didn't chase AI for cash. Curiosity came first, demand followed. "When people started to respond positively to my work, I thought, why not?"
She doesn't rely on TikTok payouts either. In Kazakhstan, there's no revenue from views-only livestream gifts, which isn't her thing.
Pricing is clarity
Rates depend on the brief. Brand ad or fantasy short? Clothing, jewelry, specific locations? One hero across scenes? Duration matters. No guesswork until the technical spec is clear.
Brand work means consistency
AI dislikes repetition. Logos, packaging, inscriptions-expect manual fixes. She once animated glasses that disassembled into ornaments and reassembled. When asked to "do it the same way," it took 20-30 failed passes. "AI just doesn't do exactly the same."
Craft that transfers
A decade of photographing fresh tattoos taught her lighting and angles. That knowledge now directs virtual cameras and light sources. Good taste travels.
What AI still fumbles
Water physics. Simple swimming passes, realistic splashes don't. "Limbs moved like propellers." Fast movements glitch-birds flapping look wrong, gliding works. For image-to-video pipelines, animals often animate better than humans.
Culture as source code
Kazakh ornaments are hard for models. Training sets are heavy on Chinese elements and light on Kazakh patterns. She fixes it by hand-Photoshop, AI assists, or drawing from scratch. If you want accuracy, you'll likely composite.
Myths in motion: Tuyaqty Kyz
AI didn't "get" hooves at first-kept generating slippers and paws. She sourced a museum photo of hoof-shaped shoes, labeled them clearly, and used it as a visual anchor. Then it clicked.
Identity as a creative tool
Alena is the person. Ilona is the public-facing artist. The pseudonym made it easier to share, experiment, and handle attention. If you scroll far enough, the old personal posts are still there-she never wiped them.
On AI characters that look human
She's not worried about being confused with "neuro-characters." She tested a neuro-photo session using her face. It fooled some, but not her-small tells give it away.
Films, festivals, and quiet emotion
One standout clip: a knight in pierced chainmail with a cat on his shoulder-loneliness as a short film. She hasn't entered festivals yet, but she's eyeing a competition in Dubai.
Protecting the work
People do steal. A mermaid video was reposted without credit. Platforms are getting better at detecting one-to-one reposts, and credit helps visibility. Legal protection still means registering copyrights.
Place and pace
Born in Karaganda, childhood in Almaty, living in Astana. Astana feels like home for its pace and momentum. Almaty is for the mountains; Karaganda stays in her heart.
What she wants
"Freedom. The freedom to express myself, to show people my inner world… and be understood."
Practical takeaways for creatives
- Different wins. A single, distinct aesthetic can fill your calendar faster than ads ever will.
- Rotate motifs to avoid burnout. Keep craft consistent (lines, shading), vary subject matter.
- Price by complexity and clarity. Don't quote until the brief defines story, duration, assets, and continuity.
- Expect to hand-fix brand assets. Logos, type, and packaging often require manual passes for frame-to-frame consistency.
- Design for motion limits. Favor slow shots, glides, and minimal splashes. Fast flaps and complex water physics still break.
- Anchor with references. Provide concrete images (e.g., museum items) and name them precisely to guide the model.
- Mind the dataset gap. Underrepresented cultures need manual compositing or custom assets for accurate detail.
- Separate person from persona. A pseudonym can create creative space while protecting your private life.
- Plan for theft. Watermark, monitor reposts, and register copyrights. Credit can help reach; legal paperwork protects value.
- Skill stacks transfer. Photography, lighting, and posing translate directly into stronger AI visuals.
If you're building an AI video workflow, here's a vetted list of tools to speed up production: AI tools for generative video.
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