Joey Tadiar NFT Artist Interview
Where are you from? (Provide a little bit of your background, have you moved etc) Born and raised in London, UK. My father is Filipino and my mother is English.
Can you tell us about your background and what lead you down the path to becoming an artist and ultimately experimenting with NFTs?
I’m actually quite new to identifying as an artist, but being a creative director for an ad agency, I’ve always had a keen eye for art and design. I started experimenting with oil painting in May 2020 at the start of the pandemic and immediately fell in love. I picked up difficult techniques and developed my style very naturally and since then I’ve commissioned a dozen paintings. After seeing my work, my friend introduced me to NFTs in January 2021 and convinced me to learn about the space. He recommended Nifty Gateway as a great starting point, but I didn’t have liquidity to buy anything at the time, or the contacts to get my own drop on the platform. I’ve spent the last 18 months investing in projects, losing more than I’ve gained, selling my first NFT on Foundation, building a Web3 agency and developing a project for Warner Records and Bose, and now, my very first drop on Nifty Gateway.
When did you mint your first NFT? What platform did you choose and why?
I minted my first NFT in September 2021. It was a Sushiverse NFT I picked it up on Opensea. Why? Purely out of curiosity and to lose my minting virginity!
Can you tell us one thing you cannot live without? (and why)
Before becoming a father, I couldn’t live without travelling. But now I’m a dad, I couldn’t imagine a single moment without my son. It’s reignited my inspiration, motivation and dedication and I wake up with a selfless purpose every day.
Who is your favorite artist(s) (Non NFT)? What about their style resonates with you?
I follow an oil painter called Will Rochfort. Before seeing his work, I was just chucking paint on the canvas and saying it was abstract art. His ability to capture snapshots of real life moments inspired me to take my time on my work and develop my own style, and the most important rule of oil painting, Work from dark to light.
Who is your favourite NFT artist? What makes this artist unique?
I really admire the work of Thankyoux for his ability to put street art on a canvas and adding an immersive, digital aspect to his work. I also love Slimesunday, his collages are thought provoking and every piece makes you think ‘Damn, I wish I thought of that!’
What made you pursue NFT art?
The fusion of art and technology fascinates me. A painting isn’t just a painting any more. You can get a high quality image taken of it and and sell it as a digital artwork. You can then send the buyer the original and the NFT becomes proof they own it.
What is the one piece of NFT art you wish you had purchased but missed out on? It has to be a Cryptopunk, purely for the historical value they have.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go? Why this location? What are your other passions besides art? Why?
If I had to choose anywhere, it would be Koh Samui in Thailand. Why, because it’s away from the hustle and bustle of London and I focus on health and wellness daily. Thailand is the purest place to keep a clean mind for inspiration and creativity.
Do you have any other interested or hobbies?
My biggest passion besides art is cooking. It’s an art form in itself. I’m no Michelin star chef, but create some beautiful flavours and present it well too! Ramen is my favourite thing to make.
Do you make other forms of art?
I write poetry for my mental wellbeing and I love illustrating using Procreate on my iPad. I’m quite handy when it comes to graphic design too and front end web design.
How did you come up with your specific style?
My Style is ever changing. It’s dictated by mood and moment. I feel the NFT space defined my current style – I began painting PFPs to get on whitelists of projects I loved. HAPE and Azuki were the two I remember fondly. Now I’m obsessed with the collectible toy culture, which is where I want to focus now.
How has your style evolved over the years?
I began with abstract, experimenting with colour, composition and shape. I moved to more realistic work, painting vintage movie posters, and then to painting more cartoon like work when I got involved in NFTs. With my recent project, REMO I’m more determined than ever to bring a timeless and loveable character to life as a collection of paintings, illustrations and animations so my son can tell his friends “My dad made that”.
What is coming in the near future?
All my artistic and creative focus is on developing my character, his world and a compelling narrative. I’m hoping every day that this will be my future in the NFT art space.
If you could collaborate with one artist who would it be?
Banksy. Because, well, it’s Banksy.
Do you have any upcoming drops?
5th October on Nifty Gateway I drop my project, REMO.
Where can collectors find your work?
I have a foundation profile, but I put a halt to releasing work until I figured out an idea I could run with. I have that now, so keep an eye on Nifty Gateway, Foundation, Known Origin and eventually, my own Web3 site.
Links
The collection will consist an Open Edition featuring 4 pieces, with each piece acting as an entry to unlock either an 8” resin REMO toy or a 8×10 Giclée print. There will also be a 1/1 auction of a 100% unique REMO entitled ‘$0 BROKE”. The winner of this auction will get an 8” hand-painted REMO toy.
Core elements will be inspired by the 3 elements of earth and cost $25-50
Biggest piece sold?
I sold my oil painting ‘HAPE X’ as an nft on foundation for 2.3Eth. The winning bidder got the original piece sent to them too.
What was your greatest failure and what did you learn from that?
I’m not really a believer in seeing things as failures. I’ve definitely made mistakes and learned from those. Investing more than I can afford. Not taking profits. Fomo-ing in to projects. I learned to trust my instinct and don’t get sucked in to hype.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I appreciate anyone who’s gotten this far to learn more about my journey as an artist and creator. I can’t wait to share what I’ve been working on!
