#Kalakar series will feature artists from all over the globe and explore what drives them!
‘Kalakar’ is an ancient Sanskrit word that means ‘creator’.
Without further ado, meet Criptera-
Criptera
Criptera is young female artrepreneur that has been drawing and making art in various mediums since childhood. From canvas and acrylics to watercolor, clay, stained glass and even bone works. Just two years ago she started experimenting with digital art and after losing her job during the pandemic, she invested herself in crypto and found the world of NFT art. This is her new home, a community where everyone has motivated her to keep working hard and always aim for the best. Her main collection right now is CripTarot, a present-day rendition to an old tradition. In this series she concentrates on adding crypto and technological iconography in order to bridge two very distinct worlds: the mystical world of the tarot and the ever changing and evolving world of crypto. She is very dedicated to her work and is always there to lend a helping hand to whomever wants to start their career as a crypto artist. She believes that we are living on a new technology-based renaissance and is sure that it is time for creators to shine again.
When did you realise you wanted to become a creator?
Since I was a child, my parents noticed that I was a talented painter . I started by drawing animals, and it became a hobby when I was young. I didn’t make much of it because I wanted to be a veterinarian, so art was not in my original plan. When I realized that I would have to put many pets to sleep, or had to see them in a horrible stage of sickness, I changed my major from Biology (the first step on becoming a veterinarian) to a Bachelor’s Degree in General Arts.
While working as an Executive Assistant, I started to share my traditional work with different people. I got some positive reviews so I decided to try my luck by making logos and developing my digital art skills. Around the time the pandemic started, a friend shared a video from Coin Bureau that explained what NFTs were and how they could revolutionize the art world. Shortly after that, I lost my job so I decided to follow my dream of becoming self sufficient, one NFT at a time.
How were your early years being a creator?
Most of my creative process does not involve happiness. I feel most inspired when I am very sad, or when I have a chance to remember a nightmare in order to vent it out on any type medium. My saddest period was adolescence, and first university years when I had a big portfolio and all of it got burned by my ex. Everything from classes, sketches, personal paintings, all got lost. Now I mint my art on the blockchain so it shall never be destroyed. It has become my new Book of Shadows where I imprint all of my inspiration.
What is your view on traditional art forms?
It’s great for allowing the flow of movement. Like Bob Ross used to say “there are no mistakes, only happy accidents”. On traditional mediums a wrong stroke can become a beautiful butterfly. I am very fond of the traditional and now I am seeking ways to combine both: a digital animated piece with a physical version that is shipped physically.
What inspired to create NFTs and embrace crypto?
The fact that fiat money has become inaccessible to artists. The NFT movement brings more eyes to my work allowing more potential buyers versus trying to sell it locally. Another key benefit of NFTs is how the royalty system will always allow an artist to get a fair piece of future secondary sales.
Who are your inspirations from traditional art?
I have found great inspiration on how Pamela Coleman portrayed all the Tarot iconography in the Raider Waite Tarot Deck. Here is an example of The Magician (original), and my version of the same card with crypto iconography. As you can see some elements remain the same: the wand, the infinity symbol, the flowers, etc, but I have adapted them to tell the story of crypto. Thus, converting this told tradition into a bridge between two very distinct subjects.
Who do you admire among the NFT creators?
Of the top of my head, there are two artists that I am really fond of , they have become mentors, and I find their works truly inspiring: Arke & Carlos Marcial.
@Arke56374430 and I started around the same time in Rarible. His unique way of creating 3D card-like collectibles quickly made him rise within the platform and his work became very sought-after pieces, most of them selling out within the hour. Furthermore, he is also a pioneer of minting NFT music, he is a well rounded artist that should be in everyone’s watchlist. I initially connected with him by praising his work and after a couple of conversations we started sharing ideas about styles, software, techniques. He has always provided very valuable criticism based on his years of experience in the digital art field.
What challenges do you face as an NFT artist?
I come from a more traditional background so I have only started working on digital around 3 years ago, I feel like I still have a lot to learn. It is time consuming. The undo button can be a blessing, but it is also a curse. I find myself looping by constantly using it just to get the exact result that I want. I could use it less, and use less layers, but that would make animating my art extremely difficult and the end result would not look as smooth as I want.
I stumbled upon @carlosmarcialt when I saw his unique art style. As far as I know, he was the first NFT artist to come up with the idea of the “Infinity Room”. A simple, yet mesmerizing way to create 3D art. We are both latinx, so we clicked right from the start. We talked for 3 hours straight and we realized that we are both from Puerto Rico, and that we both graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus! Naturally he was very excited to meet another person doing NFT art from the island and has done everything in his power to bring more exposure to my work and has also motivated me to work hard.
Finally, why did you choose Kalamint to mint some of your work?
I have chosen Kalamint for several reasons:
- Developer dedication to the project is very notable and they possess a great set of values that guide them.
- Gas prices from the Ethereum network are not going to stabilize any time soon.
- Great sense of community and unique governance system that allow artists and collectors to participate in the decision making of the platform
- It will be a very polished product that takes into consideration everything that we have learned from previous platforms.
