In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, Cristina Ardelean, known as black.ai.butterfly uses AI as a tool for emotional storytelling rather than mere experimentation. Her work blends cinematic visuals with dreamlike narratives, exploring themes of love, transformation, and the space between the human and the artificial.
In this Typedreams interview, we speak with Cristina about her creative process, her relationship with AI as a collaborator, and how she builds meaningful visual stories in the age of generative art.
Background & Origins
Can you tell us a bit about where you grew up and how that environment shaped you as an artist?
I grew up in Eastern Europe, in an environment where contrast was part of daily life, beauty and difficulty existing in the same frame. That taught me to notice the emotional layers underneath ordinary moments. I think that’s why my work often leans into the atmosphere: shadows, silence, tension, and the feeling of something about to shift.
How have your cultural roots influenced your visual language?
My cultural roots shaped my relationship to symbolism. I’m drawn to images that hold meaning without needing explanation, things that feel familiar and strange at the same time.
Who were your early influences, creatives or artists, films, writers, experiences that still echo in your work?
I’ve always been drawn to artists and filmmakers who treat visuals like psychology. Films that feel like dreams, scenes that linger like a memory, worlds that are beautiful but unsettling.
How did you first get into AI art, and what does the name black.ai.butterfly signify in relation to your creative identity?
AI art entered my life as an experiment, but it quickly became a language. I realized I could translate feelings, fragments, and ideas into images with a speed and freedom I hadn’t experienced before.
The name black.ai.butterfly represents contrast and transformation:
- black for the unknown, the shadow, the depth, the mystery.
- AI for the tool — the strange mirror we’re all learning to create with.
- butterfly for metamorphosis — becoming, evolving, emerging.
How has your relationship to technology and art evolved since you first began experimenting with generative tools?
At first, I approached generative tools with curiosity — like a new medium to explore. But over time, my relationship with technology became more intentional and more critical. I started to understand that AI isn’t simply a “shortcut” to making images; it’s a system that reflects patterns, aesthetics, and biases embedded in the data it was trained on.
Creative Process
Your work often feels cinematic and emotional. How do you define your artistic voice in the AI art space?
My voice lives in the space between beauty and distortion; subtle chaos, strong emotion, and dream logic. Even when my work looks surreal or futuristic, the core is always human: longing, transformation, tension, silence, desire, memory.
Can you walk us through your typical creative process when starting a new project with AI, from concept to final piece?
Usually it starts with a mood, not a concept. A song, a scene in my head, a sentence, a color - and that becomes the seed.
Then I move through a few stages:
- World-building: I define the atmosphere (dark, ethereal, glitchy, elegant, surreal).
- Generation: I experiment with variations until the image carries the emotion I’m looking for.
- Curation: I’m extremely selective. Most outputs are discarded.
- Refinement: I edit composition, lighting, texture, and narrative clarity.
- Story layer: sometimes it becomes a still image, sometimes a reel.
Your pieces explore ‘dreamlike worlds’. Where do these themes originate for you?
I’ve always been fascinated by the invisible things: the way a moment can haunt you, the way you can feel something before you understand it. Surrealism lets me translate those things into form. Dreamlike worlds are where emotion becomes architecture.
How do you think storytelling amplifies impact in AI art?
Storytelling makes the work stick. With AI art, visuals can be impressive instantly but the story gives them weight.
In what ways do you hope your art contributes to broader conversations around AI, creativity, and human experience?
I want my work to remind people that AI doesn’t replace human emotion, it reveals it. The tool is powerful, but the intention behind it matters more.
I also want to normalize AI art as a serious artistic medium, while still holding space for ethical questions. It’s not “AI vs artists.” It’s artists shaping the future of culture with new tools — responsibly, creatively, and with taste.
Looking back, what challenge ultimately helped you grow the most as an artist?
The biggest challenge was learning to trust my own creative direction instead of chasing approval or trends.
AI gives you infinite options, and that can be overwhelming. Growth came from developing discernment, knowing when to stop, what to keep, and what actually matches my voice.
Looking Forward
What ethical or creative concerns do you think artists should be aware of when working with AI?
Ethically, artists should think about consent, originality, and source material. Even if the tool allows anything, it doesn’t mean everything is aligned with your values.
Creatively, the biggest risk is sameness. AI can push artists toward trends and familiar aesthetics. The responsibility is to bring your own perspective — not just generate what’s popular.
How do you imagine the role of the artist evolving as AI tools become more advanced?
I think the artist becomes more like a director: shaping meaning, narrative, and taste across multiple mediums.
As tools improve, the value shifts away from technical execution and toward creative vision. Anyone can generate an image, but not everyone can build a world, evoke emotion, or create something culturally memorable.
The future belongs to artists with clear voices.
Are there aspects of creativity you believe AI will never be able to replace?
AI can generate combinations, but it doesn’t carry lived experience. It doesn’t have memories, heartbreak, desire, nostalgia, fear, or hope.
It can imitate emotion, but it doesn’t feel.
The irreplaceable part is the human why: the reason something matters, the reason a symbol is chosen, the reason a story needs to exist.
What themes or direction are you most curious to explore in your future work?
I’m interested in pushing deeper into cinematic world-building: longer narrative sequences, character-driven surrealism, and blending visual art with sound and motion.
I want to explore transformation, identity, memory, and the tension between softness and power.
I’m also curious about creating immersive experiences, art that feels like stepping into another dimension rather than just viewing an image.
What kind of creative legacy do you hope to build through your work?
I want to build a legacy of emotional worlds: art that feels timeless, strange, and intimate.
Something people return to not just because it looks beautiful, but because it makes them feel understood.
What services do you provide and how can people contact you?
- AI-generated visual art + concept art
- Cinematic reels + short-form video
- Brand visuals / creative direction for campaigns
- Custom artwork and collaborations (music visuals, covers, promo visuals)
The best way to contact me is through my social media: linktr.ee/black.ai.butterfly
or email blackaibutterfly@hotmail.com