About the artist
My name is Riku Similä, but almost everyone calls me Rik. On online platforms I go by the name Kellerica. I was born in Finland in the 90’s, but these days you’ll find me on the hills of southern Scotland.
It’s certainly no understatement to say that the passion for fantasy cartography has completely shaped my life into what it is today! The desire to create my own maps for my stories was the spark that inspired me to teach myself digital art, and to seriously pursue illustration and design first as a hobby and later as a career path.
As a cherry on top, I also met my partner on a Discord server for map enthusiasts, and I ended up permanently relocating to Scotland as a result of that relationship at the start of 2021. We’re currently engaged with plans to get married in 2026, and our family also includes a Springer Spaniel named Merlin.
All of my illustrations are bespoke creations drawn by my hand – AI is not used for any part of the creation process! The main tools of my trade are Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop and Affinity Designer, with the help of my trusty Xencelabs 24" graphics display tablet.
I create maps and other artworks with several years of experience and have worked with a variety of different clients on different projects. Below you can see a few comments from the people I've had the pleasure of working with in the past!
Lynne Hardy,
Associate Editor,
Chaosium Inc.
Professional, flexible, and reliable, Rik is a pleasure to work with and produces such lovely pieces from sometimes the barest of scraps. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with him and look forward to doing so again in the future.
M. L. Spencer,
bestselling author of The Rhenwars Saga
Rik was amazing to work with, and so flexible! He took all of my ideas and worked with me to create a product I was excited about.
Davis Ashura,
bestselling author of The Instrument of Omens
It was wonderful working with Rik. Not only is he responsive and skilled, he also brings an artist's sensibility to the work.
Amy Mandari,
Author of Bound by Veils of Mist
From start to finish, Rik's collaboration was seamless - he took on board all of my feedback without hesitation while offering creative suggestions that truly brought the project to life. His professionalism, attention to detail and communication made the entire process thoroughly enjoyable, and I’m thrilled with the final product.