The Bazaar #91: Resource Review (ANASTASIYA KORONSKAYA)
- Francois DesRochers
- 1 minute ago
- 6 min read
INTRODUCTION
For a lot of gamers, both Players and Game Masters, a lot of inspiration is drawn from visual media. You see an image or a piece of art and it fires a series of ideas that really get your creative juices flowing. I know I’ve benefited from some really great ideas from even the most obscure and non-genre related media. One of the things with genre art is that there are a slew of resources to draw upon, and there only seems to be more and more for us to randomly come across that gives us the freedom to express an adventure or character idea in a way we perhaps were unsure of, or searching for an image that would really ‘lock us in’ with a concept. So, as a GM, if you’re planning a world-spanning or dimension-hopping series of adventures, I think the following resource might give you a few ideas.
DISCUSSION
Who the Heck Is Anastasiya Koronskaya? Based on the little information publicly available, Koronskaya is a Saint Petersburg based abstract painter. She is best known for her (very) large canvass paintings depicting urban, architectural designs with a surrealist aspects. She graduated from the Kazan Art College, an institute located in the Russian Republic of Tataria. Years later, she developed her online brand by showcasing her massive (did I mention these things are huge?) canvass paintings of complex and breathtakingly evocative paintings. In addition to her personal works, she apparently also is involved in some artistic workshop retreats within the European region, such as one being done in Sant Pere Pescador, Spain, in early May 2026. Some of her social media links:
Official Website: https://www.koronskaya.com
Instagram (koronskaya) with ~1,400 posts and 282k followers
Link to TTRPGs. I’ve not found any direct links for Koronskaya with any kind of RPG or genre gaming elements. That said, her work in the visual medium suggests that there has been some influence; definitely from a science fiction aspect, perhaps some fantasy, definitely some inspiration if not a background in architectural design; it would not surprise me that was part of her curriculum in Kazan. There are more than a few references to her works being anime/manga inspired, which I suppose is possible, though I’ve found no definitive claim from the artist to support that.
Selected Images. I’ve perused much of her Facebook and Instagram posts in terms of her paintings; she’s also active on other social media platforms if you so wish to seek her works out (e.g. TikTok). The few references I’ve found from her perspective describe a kind of clash between ‘grotesque megacities’ that are confronted with natural, sometimes frantic environments. She seems to particularly enjoy a kind of noir abstraction that fog and rainy night scenes often provide; often reinforced in movies (e.g. Bladerunner/Bladerunner 2049, Dune/Dune2, Arrival) and anime (Akira, Ghost in the Shell). The following provides a sample to whet your palette:
Leveraging Abstract Art. Although a few support these concepts, most specifically the Rifts RPG really allows the GM to go WAAAAY into left field in terms of setting and adventure design. Set hundreds of years in the future, after a Golden Age of Mankind is usurped by a reckoning that ripped apart space-time and society, two centuries of Dark Ages have been followed by about a century of ‘relative’ stability (note: I don’t say peace). Multiple worlds and dimensions are linked to Earth. Ever wonder what an alternate version of Earth could look like in a post Chaos Earth era? What about a pocket dimension occupied and developed over the centuries by humans, or humanoids that perhaps have long disappeared or the PCs now must interact with? What are the geo-political intricacies they’ve just stumbled into? A few examples:
‘Burbs and Arcologies. Something very topical is the concept of arcologies for cityscape design; Chi-town is a great example. These massive structures are self-contained, with all infrastructure supporting life-generating needs (e.g. food, water, oxygen) along with space to sleep and for recreation, work in industrial/commercial capacity, as well as government oversight and military functions. It all fits in one dome/shell/spire/block. In some cases the art could inspire what a ‘Burb may look like, with ramshackle construction atop each other. Perhaps it’s a city where the PCs are sent to? What about a dimensional pocket?
Future/Alien Landscape. In many cases, the images could conjure up a time and space that perhaps belongs to the Golden Age of Mankind, or perhaps another species dwelling elsewhere in the Megaverse. Large-scale urban architecture always presents a number of sci-fi cliches and messaging. It inherently presents a dystopian, pessimistic view of the future, where environment and/or social collapse may have occurred, and where the rampant capitalism and technological overreach. These can present myriad adventure opportunities for the GM to present to the PCs.
Abandoned Structures. A massive industrial complex or “buried” structure has been discovered/hinted at, and the PCs are sent to explore/clear the infestation. Go find the map of one online and start planning your encounters on whatever nasty gribblies you think would be fun to fight against!
Pre-Rifts Mega-Structure. One of the underground “Silo” mega-cities have been found. All that’s needed is a way to break in and loot the contents. The residents have long since perished, right? Right? Nothing could have possibly occupied this place to make it their own nest. Nah, it’s just going to be a loot-hoard adventure of Pre-Rifts artefacts. Nobody needs to know where we got all this stuff…. I’ve just detailed a full campaign broken down into four separate adventure modules.
Phase World. The vast majority of her works imply a large-scale population center, which means humans and/or D-Bees have been living and thriving for some significant amounts of time. How did the PCs arrive at this location, and for what purpose? Are they there for trade, corporate espionage, a mercenary contract, bounty hunting, or part of a military mission for or against the population? This space fantasy setting allows a WIDE expanse of adventure ideas, and Koronskaya’s paintings provide a solid basis to begin that process.
Scraypers. What about the megalopolis that is presented in Dimension Book 4? A lot of the themes and messaging presented in abstract and dystopian futuristic art. The invasion and militaristic overreach of the Krregor over the inhabitants make for a great setting to design adventures; essentially Heroes Unlimited meets Rifts/Phase World. How would you like to describe the inside of this setting? How are the PCs engaged in the setting, and to what end?
CONCLUSION
In an age where a lot genre art is often criticized or assumed to be AI generated, it is a refreshing find to see an artist delivering such a staggering amount of art. The vast majority of that collection is something that can easily be leveraged to create a post-apocalyptic world, or setting the scene for a showcase encounter of an adventure module. There are some of these works that inspired me to put down point form notes that could easily be exploited for more expansive submissions to Palladium Books. Honestly, the limitation of time really frustrate an active imagination, LOL.
For anyone looking to create an adventure module within a cityscape, perhaps even one with a different environment than you were considering, this artist has a library of art to help serve that need. Despite no clear link to genre or the RPG industry, the concepts behind abstract industrial art such as this has long been leveraged by authors, screen writers, academics and the gaming industry to forecast and discuss some of the ethical, moral, and legal issues at play. From a non-artist perspective, the sheer size of these images and scope they portray, really is something to marvel at.
There are several niche markets for information a new GM or veteran one could develop the visions for their adventures. The fact that you can leverage an actual architect’s love for their craft and obvious interest in media that supports the TTRPG industry (e.g. science fiction, anime) is a step up. The quality of her videos and the ease in which you can draw upon the ideas she discusses, well, that’s just the cherry on top! Typically around 15 minutes long, they are easily digestible pieces that even those without architectural tradecraft can appreciate.
For anyone looking to create an adventure within the cityscape of Chi-Town or the ‘Burbs, perhaps an alien cityscape or ruins sent to explore, there are a multitude of images here for a GM to exploit. You don’t need an architectural degree to appreciate the settings, just let your imagination flare and scribble down what comes to mind. Form an adventure based on your notes. They provide a great background that the GM can leverage to create great, immersive backdrops, giving your Players more atmosphere to chew on while they engage with the adventure’s plot.
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