Loopina
Creative

Hello!

My journey with visual storytelling and animation began long before Loopina Creative took shape in 2017. As a visual artist and illustrator who gradually became a filmmaker and educator, my love for animation was sparked by childhood favorites like Disney classics and Hanna-Barbera’s Tom and Jerry, and grew from a lifelong passion for visual arts and storytelling.

I’m Stela Railean (also known as Estela Raileanu), a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends painting, graphics, illustration, and animation. My formal training includes a Painting degree from the College of Fine Arts ‘Alexandru Plamadeala’ (2008), a Graphics degree from the Academy of Music, Theatre, and Fine Arts in Moldova (2012), and a Master’s in Directing Animation (2014).

What began as a career in illustration – under the pseudonym Loopina, I illustrated over 100 children’s books – gradually expanded into the world of animated filmmaking. The desire to bring my drawings to life, to explore movement, time, and emotion through animated images, led me to establish Loopina Creative in 2017. What started as a publishing venture evolved into a full-service studio offering 2D/3D animation, stop-motion, editorial illustration, and game art – all centered around emotionally driven, character-focused narratives that connect across cultures and screens.

Since 2023, I’ve also been teaching animation at the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design at “Ion Creangă” State Pedagogical University in Chișinău. As a lecturer, I mentor students in creative exploration, character performance, and storytelling through movement – helping them build both conceptual depth and technical skill.

In 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to expand my academic and creative horizons as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, USA. There, I joined the Faculty of Visual Arts and Animation in the Character Animation Program. Immersing myself in this dynamic and collaborative environment gave me not only deeper insights into character performance and production pipeline, but also a broader understanding of animation from a global perspective. That experience continues to shape both my own creative work and the way I teach others.

Alongside the studio’s projects, I’ve participated in numerous international art residencies and symposiums in Hungary, Austria, Romania, and beyond. My work explores identity, the feminine world, consumerism, and ego in the age of globalization –  often through a mix of Expressionist and Pop Art influences. I like to think of the characters I create as mirrors: sometimes disturbed, sometimes poetic, but always honest.

At Loopina Creative, we believe animation isn’t just a tool –  it’s a way of reaching others, of transmitting feeling and ideas in a visual language that’s endlessly flexible and powerful. It’s not about chasing perfection –  it’s about truth, heart, and imagination.

This is the space I continue to nurture.
And the journey is far from over.