A delightful series of paintings by Colombia-born, Germany-based artist Stefhany Y. Lozano. While fun and lighthearted, “Kurz Davor” (which translates to “shortly before”) is actually inspired by feelings of anxiety triggered by going into an elevator. More specifically, the moment just before a panic attack — the feeling of running out of air or that something bad is about to happen even if, in the end, it never does. As Lozano explains:

“I imagine these characters being very uncomfortable in this small spaces, running out of air, but I wanted to approach them from a very colorful and comic side more than a dramatic one. The anxiety is not obvious because it is not there yet but you have a hint through the expression of the characters and the way the pose their hands.”

See more images from “Kurz Davor” below.