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?

Hi, I am Valya Narts is the short of Nartsissova my surname. My art is dark, nerve wrecking, tragic, I try to depict the moment on the peak of emotion, the greatest triumph, the worst disaster, to catch the highest tension or full stillness. My interests in the art world is exploration of the old masters, I love their styles, I adore Renaissance, Impressionism, Pre-Raphaelites, but in my art while trying their techniques in stokes I still try to talk about modern problems. My dream is to create art that disturbes.
 

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

During middle school I attended watercolor art school, graduated from the Institute of Architecture, so i had some basics. Real knowledge came with self education and I stared 3 years ago when I decided to quit office job to persue the artist path. One of the first works of art I ever saw was Van Gogh's sunflowers. The piece was so strong, so simple and mesmerizing at the same time. I understood back then that art can affect one.
 

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

For me art is my voice. Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable", said the Mexican poet and academic, Cesar A. I can't agree more. I see that art should ask questions, should fight the injustice, should bring comfort to tortured souls.
 

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?

My friend invited me to the the platform that was called Singular, nothing compared to Ethereum size, but I had some sales. I stared back in may 2022. My first NFT collection was called "the rebellious pigeon". I was a political activist before immigration, so I wanted to speak through my art.
 

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

I think that I am still searching for the answer, for the best way to show what I want to say. Is it bold strokes or fine rendering? Depends on mood, idea, goal. I want to try as much as I can, I want to learn from all the great masters, I want to sea how my inner voice can sound in different keys.
 

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 approach them with all my heart. My art is literally about social problems, and yes, I have political art too. It not for NFT though. Although I use metaphor, symbolism, interpretation, I always make sure that the message is obvious in my works.
 

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

I start with the idea, it's the most important thing for me, the message. With AI skill is not that appreciated, so to affect the viewer I have to speak in a certain language. Composition, light, pose is all matters for me it it works for the idea. I start with sepia sketch, then render.
 

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

I have depression, so I kind of struggle with motivation. To force myself to do the art, unfortunately I have to convince my inner child that the art I am going to do is meaningful, that I am making this journey with a certain goal. Inspiration is real life. If smth affected me, hurt me emotionally, and I have the urge to say something, I start my process.
 

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?

There is a lot of artists I adore, but I think Sinix taught the most. Stan Prokopenko, Loish, Sinix, Ricco Bucci, those great guys who share their knowledge for free, who give you inspiration and drive to learn. Their YouTube lessons are easy, short, funny and for me, for a person that pushes and criticize herself a lot, this kind of approach is perfect.
 

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

I had a bid war once for a contest piece that led to a 1.5 ETH sale, but to be honest, I am more proud of the things I am creating now, though the sales are not high. I hope the acknowledgement is waiting for me in the nearest future.
 

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

For me being in Twitter so much, communicating a lot was quite a struggle. But I think I got used to it and even found real friends in the space. Also to be seen by the collectors is also a pain. Usually they don't want to see new faces and buy from those they know, who came early. All I can do here is to create such good art that they won't be able to overlook.
 

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

I want to be seen so much. I want my art to be acknowledged, I want big auditorium so I could share my knowledge, sell lowpriced pieces, I don't want to depend so much on NFT sales. Of course, I won't mind if I find collectors who will really appreciate my works. I want to create much louder pieces, speak more about crutial themes, touch the subjects I never dared to touch before.
 

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

My art will be displayed at the Artists Village at #NFTNYC2024. I will continue to create crazy 1/1 and editions stuff. Try to do some collaborations.
 

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?

For me, NFT is like a gallery, without real fancy walls, campaign glasses, small talks. It's the opportunity to people like me to be seen by collectors, with whom I would never be able to interact in the real world. So while there exist people who can afford to collect art and support artists, this NFT world will exist. I don't pay attention to trends a lot, I try to focus on building my thing.
 

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

This world is not the best place and I know it's hard, very hard sometimes, but, please, don't give up, I promise it will be better one day.