We are excited to have Okytomo, an Enigmatic Visual Artist from Buenos Aires, join us as a Unifty Gallery Exhibitor and today for an AMA!
His work is inspired by surreal and sci-fi imagery, crafting his art to take the viewer on a journey across a new virtual landscape, a novel reality where anything and everything is within reach of the mind.
Okytomo: Hey guys!
Unifty: Let's start with a short introduction, can you tell us how you discovered NFT technology and what motivated you to start building and creating in this space?
Okytomo: I have been around for almost two years now. I got into this world thanks to a friend, another artist called lulucollages. I was really motivated because of the community and the amount of friends that were joining at that time. I was locked at home and a new world of interactions took form.
Also I was working a lot in a publicity agency with a terrible salary so it was a way to be financially free, hehe.
Question: What type of work do you create the most? We want to know more about your artworks.
Okytomo: Right now I am working mostly with 3D software. I think that this tool right now is for me the best way to express my sensibility.
Here you can check my lastest works: https://superrare.com/okytomo
Question: Can you please share your first minted NFT?
Okytomo: My first NFT was minted at KnownOrigin.
Question: I'm a big fan of your futuristic sci-fi style of art. Can you tell us some of your favorite sci-fi movies/influences?
Okytomo: Thanks. I have been a big fan of science fiction since I was a child. My faves, to name a few, are Star Wars, Interstellar. But I think I enjoy sci fi most when reading. That way I can imagine all of it by myself, my imagination flies more that way.
My last read was Neuromante. Amazing book.
Question: Can you offer us some insight into your previous experience with photography, filmmaking and digital media? What did you like to do the most, images or motion pictures?
Okytomo: Since I was a kid I was obsessed with creating, in any way. When I was a teenager I started my artistic career doing photos. It was a cool way to create something and meet cool people. When I finished school I had no idea what to study, I just knew I liked to create, so I went to the university to study sound and image design. Doing that degree I went to the most avant garde professorships that were adopting new mediums, experienced a lot with digital media, VR, documentary, 3D, and more. And after all those tests and experiences I think that I found what I want to do.
Question: Describe to us, what is your creative process like?
Okytomo: Haha, my creative process is really anxious. It's like every time I start something I am freeing myself of a weight, and it weighs on me until I finish it.
Question: Do you use paper and pencil at some stage or do you go straight to the digital tools?
Okytomo: I suck at drawing, that's why I thought I was never gonna be an artist. I did the art I sell now as a hobby, a kind of catharsis. Just to feel better.
Question: Do you have a deadline for each artwork? Do you do each artwork one by one or can you do many at once?
Okytomo: No deadlines. This year I have been really busy working on my university thesis, so I was only able to create three artworks in the whole year. But the thesis is looking good, haha.
But like I said, I mostly work on one until I finish.
Question: What are your predictions for the future of this kind of art? Where would you like to see it go?
Okytomo: I think we are experiencing a vanguardist artistic movement that will be registered in history books.
Question: What do you think is the most interesting thing about the Unifty Gallery that attracts a digital artist?
Okytomo: I think it’s amazing that you can stake and win money by choosing an artist that you have a connection with.
Question: How do you think NFTs changed you as an artist and your creations?
Okytomo: I think NFTs pointed me in the direction to truly find the best way to express myself.
In photography and moviemaking you are like showing a cut of reality, and in the art I am making now, the whole 'reality' is made by me. Everything is even more personal.
Question: Which project are you the most proud of and what makes this project stand out?
Okytomo: I think my most ambitious project is the thesis which I am currently working on. A cinematographic short completely done in 3D, which should be finished by the end of the year.
Question: What is the most personal art you have done, I mean your ideological art is not a market demand...
Okytomo: You mean an artwork which I was proud of but did not sell? Let me look for the link to it...
https://knownorigin.io/gallery/210475-cessation
I always liked this one a lot. It transmits a totally calm serenity that I think I will never be able to recreate again. It feels like a pleasant dream. At least my psychologist loves it lol. I gave her a framed copy.
Would you guys like to see the artwork which I am working on now?
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/891406656536195123/903713191438188574/export2.jpg
I am working a lot with 3D scans, that's why it looks so real, the geometry that you see there was actually scanned from real world stuff.
Question: One more question, Okytomo. From your point of view, how do you think the NFT space will change and how will the community value NFT art in the future?
Okytomo: No problem bro, ask as much as you want. I am not sure. It's a hard question, a lot of speculation involved. But in my opinion all this makes a lot of sense, for collectors and artist. So I think that this will eventually be the normality.
Question: Do you think NFTs are the future of art and collectibles? If yes, why do you think so? Do you think art universities should introduce a few NTF lectures into their curriculum?
Okytomo: It sure is going to be the future. I don't think it will replace any of the above, at least in the short term. I think that because of the practicality that blockchains bring, it is all much easier and faster than in the physical world. And yes, the universities will catch on for sure, give it a couple of years. Many of my teachers are entering now.
Question: Can you tell us more about 1981 and what you wanted to capture and/or convey?
Okytomo: In 1981 I wanted to create a scene that looks like a movie. The scene was based on a short story created by an Argentine writer who has a creepy mood. I'm a fan of his, and I wanted to pay tribute to him in some way (the short story is attached to the artwork if you want to read it). A work that clearly reflects my past as a filmmaker, hehe.
Question: Can you show us maybe one of your artworks, which you are most proud of? And is there a special reason for it?
Okytomo: Right now I might choose 'Mar rojo'. I made that artwork in a week in which I was very depressed. It came out of nowhere, I sat all day at the computer and at the end of the day I had that in front of me.
Very strong feelings tied to this work..
Question: That is something that showcases the passion that you have for art. Can you tell us what traits you would like to see from an emerging young artist? Who would you take as an apprentice?
Okytomo: Originality, I love seeing new things, and luckily in this cryptoworld they don't stop appearing.
I don't think I am in the position to take an apprentice yet. I'm still training myself. I do not want to have any technical barrier that prevents me from creating what I have in mind.
Question: What kind of support can the Unifty project provide to you? How can new artists like me find the project who wants to hire us? Any suggestions...
Okytomo: Much in this space is about the exhibition. Unifty gives you a hand there.
I guess the way to stand out in this world is by being active, learning and having patience. We are very used to the immediacy of social networks. The artistic career of one is not made overnight.
And don't give up.
Unifty: This is something that is often overlooked! Many chase fame and the benefits it has without thinking too deeply on the art part.
Okytomo: It is difficult, there is a lot of money around. It is easy to take the wrong path, to create something with the objective to sell instead of filling oneself. But I think that everyone goes through that stage, those who manage to cross it in the long run are rewarded.
Question: I have a question, which I think got missed. Where does your name come from?
Okytomo: Okytomo has history. When my dad bought the first computer back in 1999 or 2000 I used to play the first online games. The username could have as many letters as you wanted, so at the beginning I was oky (my name is Octavio but everybody calls me oky). Then the minimum characters went to five, so I was okyto (means little oky in Spanish). And then six became standard, so since then I am in every online game, chat, forum, ect. Okytomo.
Unifty: And with this amazing last answer I think we can end.
Okytomo: It's a good way to end, haha.
Unifty: We thank Okytomo for joining us today for a great AMA! We are also excited about our collaboration and upcoming Unifty Gallery Exhibition of Okytomo!
Check out our intro piece on Okymoto: https://www.unifty.com/blog/unveiling-okytomo-an-enigmatic-visual-artist-launching-on-unifty-gallery
Stay up to date with Okytomo’s work here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/okytomo1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/0kytomo/
His Collections: linktr.ee/okytomo
