Hello! First of all, could you start by introducing yourself? Can you give us a brief information about your name, the type of your art and your various interests in the art world?

My name is Mariah, I sometimes present under the pseudonym Veštica, which means “sorceress” in my native language. This name serves a symbolic representation of my creative approach, wherein I articulate very realistic issues throughout the prism of surrealism and fantasy. My art is based on the idea of provocation, regardless of the form it may take, from drawing and oil painting, to processing and generative art.

I am interested in a myriad of subjects, from technology to philosophy, because I recognize that the power of an artist can only be complete if he masters interdisciplinary knowledge. In that sense, I step into divergent fields, for ex., the position of traditional art in the context of technological development or the interesting point of sex, industry and technology.
 

When did you start making art? What was the first time you met art or what attracted you to it?

I’ve always been interested in drawing, since a very early age and honestly don’t remember my first encounter with art, but I know that cartoons and comics were always the biggest fascination for me, and I’ve always known that it is something that I want to be in touch with for my entire life. Thus, I naturally continued that path with the idea that I will one day draw my own stories to live from. Today, not only do I live from my animation and drawing, but I develop narratives and create stories on a much greater level than I could imagine back then.
 

What does art mean to you? How do you see the impact of art on people?

Art represents many different concepts to me. It is at the same time a weapon of communication, a defense from traumatic events, a need, a medium, and overall, an inseparable part of my personality. I love to describe art as a primary need, such as a need for food. I can even endure not eating, but I cannot endure not creating. Many times in life I used it as a safe emergency zone, a shelter, to help me survive many difficult moments in life.

When it comes to social significance, I believe that art is an inevitable aspect of a society. I find it very funny when people consider art and culture as some secondary branch, without realizing how fundamental it is to the very essence of human existence. I personally prefer engaged art the most, since it acts as an agent of social transformation and aims to problematize issues.
 

How long have you been active in NFT and how did you get started? Can you tell us a bit about creating and marketing your first NFT piece?

I have been active for 2 years, starting in June 2021 with my genesis on Rarible. However, I was not active all the time. At first I didn't really find my place in the NFT market. Amidst the numerous PFP projects, it seemed to me that there was no genuine art market there. At that point, I just minted a piece and gave it up very quickly. Six months later, I gave it another shot and this time I managed to position my art where it belongs.

To be honest, I didn't quite understand what exactly is sought in that market,I experimented with various things and eventually when I stopped thinking about “what the market wants from me” and created what I most felt like, consequently got recognised.
 

What inspires you to experiment with various art styles? How do you decide to explore and develop different styles?

Style, same as a medium, is only a tool that I choose according to its effectiveness to convey the concept. For this reason I use eclectic approaches and don’t really care about formalistic elements as such. My style is often childish, sketch-like, colorful and playful with one purpose - to satirically suggest the antithesis to brutal criticism and dark narratives hiding behind it. I conceived my current NFT practice on formalistic works, for the purpose of easier connection with the existing audience in that community. However, more complex and contextualized works of a conceptual nature are yet to come.
 

What does it mean for you to use art as a social or political platform? How do you approach social or political issues through your art?

I feel that as an individual, I may not be able to do much to change the world, political decisions, and the complex social issues that deeply disturb me, towards which I cannot maintain an indifferent stance. The talent given to an artist is the ability to speak through art. I see art as a form of activism, and a tool that allows my voice to be heard more effectively.

I approach certain issues by simply uncovering them to the audience. Sometimes it is just enough to show mere reality that we tend to oversee in the more approachable form. That's the moment when visuals become a weapon. And the interpretation naturally happens in the audience's mind. I enjoy subverting the norms to prompt people on reevaluation and, hopefully, inspire change.
 

Can you explain how you progress from the concept of a piece to a finished artwork?

It is difficult to linearly describe that path, most often it is a very incoherent and arbitrary process. I start with the concept and idea of what I want to convey. However, the idea oftenly changes during the development process. It's a research where much is learned along the way, especially about the topic itself, so any new insights and knowledge gained can completely alter the initial context of the work.
 

How do you find motivation and inspiration in your creative work?

I am usually finding inspiration in daily life events. Dreams are also one of my greatest inspirations, because they are so elusive and unpredictable, and are challenging to contextualize within the reality we live.
 

Are there any artists or artworks that have influenced or inspired you the most in your career? Can you describe these influences and sources of inspiration?

A lot of inspiration in aesthetical terms comes from almost illustrative styles of artists like Leonora Carringthin, Tomi Ungerer, Sanya Kantarovsky. Many controversial and provocative artists such as Goya, Duchamp (especially for his nonsensical nature of works), Francis Alÿs, Chris Burden. I am especially inspired by the artists from the local Serbian and Yugoslav scene, such as performance artists Zoran Todorovic, Marina Abramovic and Uros Krcadinac and Dragan Ilic who are pioneers in the art-tech field.
 

Do you have any notable achievements or sales in your career?

The most notable achievement is succeeding in the idea of being an artist.
 

What were the challenges you faced as a NFT artist and how did you overcome them?

New market required new sets of rules, but many of them are still not clearly determined. Deciding the price and scope of work, creating a strategy based on subjective experiences, dealing with logistics, constantly making "right" or "wrong" decisions, continually questioning the strategy, information overload, and the impossibility of always keeping up with them and the absolute presence. I believe these are all challenges that most of us face now. For me, these obstacles are very motivating as well because they spur action, thinking, innovative solutions, and progress.
 

What are your long-term goals as an artist? What do you want to achieve in your career?

My ultimate goal is to be capable of spreading a positive impact on society throughout my art.
 

Can you give us some hints about upcoming projects or exhibitions? Can you share what the audience should expect in the future?

I plan to release 3 long-term projects during 2024. I can not share more details at this point, only that they are more “conceptual” than what I’ve presented to the audience so far. Recently released project of that type, 'Wulwarms', was introduced in December 2023.
 

How do you think the value and appreciation of NFT art will develop in the future? How do you assess the changes and trends in this field?

There is still a lot of room for the emergence and experiments within this artistic movement. I am optimistic as I am noticing a lot of potential for future progress and challenging the status quo. Despite the fact that there are currently not many artists in the space dealing with experimental approaches, I have a feeling that we are about to witness a new art wave in the near future. The majority of the current market is profit and conformity oriented, with the primary focus of meeting market demands and capitalizing on popular styles or themes. That is going to change, alternative waves are gaining more attention and the balance between these streams will shift towards a more proportional level, it is only a matter of time when this shift will occur.
 

As a parting note, is there anything else you would like to share?

I want to thank you for this amazing opportunity. I am very pleased when I see artists taking the initiative to listen, see, and initiate something beyond their own creative work. It has been such a pleasure to answer all the questions, as I felt they were a result of your understanding and research of my art and ideas.

I would also like to invite readers whom my conversation, art, or anything I do may be inspiring or potentially useful, to reach out to me through Twitter DMs, as I am very open to connecting with new like-minded individuals.