Zhuk NFT artist interview
Zhuk is an artist whose creative production revolves around classic figurative painting, presented in a contemporary manner.
Also she practice the transfer of the technique of her Art experience into Digital one because of her exploration of writing with a Real tassel gives the opportunity to work in digital art with her own Style.
Zhuk is one of the top NFT artists in the space. With her last sale hitting 20 ETH on SuperRare, the painter is collected by many of the top wallets in the space. Recently featured at the Crypt Gallery within Dream Downton (NYC) and in the heart of Times Square, we are honored to share this interview with the amazingly talented artist.
Where are you from? (Provide a little bit of your background, have you moved etc)
I was born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan. I also completed my art education in my country and have a member of the Union of Artists of my Motherland.
Can you tell us about your background and what lead you down the path to becoming an artist and ultimately experimenting with NFTs?
I grew up in a family of artists. My grandfather I. Zhuk was an outstanding artist of the Soviet era, and my mother inherited her father’s love of art and developed it by devoting her entire life to painting. Coming from a family with generations of artists and being constantly surrounded by creativity and talent, made me approach my career choice with careful consideration and I made a conscious decision to become an artist as the successor of a dynasty. I’m developing my signature art style by interpreting the techniques of The Classical Art School. I am so in love with old painting style. Its looks so majestic. I try to combine old techniques with my contemporary views and create something new, something of my own. Also I practice the transfer of the technique of my Art experience into Digital one because of my exploration of writing with a Real tassel gives the opportunity to work in digital art with my own Style.
When did you mint your first NFT? What platform did you choose and why?
Foundation.app was the first platform where I started my journey in the world of NFT. Its User Interface Convenience was very appealing to me. I received an invitation pretty quickly and I couldn’t wait to get started. Till this day, I consider this platform to be one of the best ones for emerging NFT artists.
Maren and Diann available on SuperRare
Can you tell us one thing you cannot live without? (and why)
To be honest, in my opinion you can live without a lot things, all you need to do is maintain yourself. But speaking of a fulfilling life, there are several things I don’t want to imagine my life journey without. Of course, my family, close people, the job that I love and an opportunity to enjoy nature. All this complements each other and creates the great love energy, the one I can’t live without!
Who is your favorite artist(s) (Non NFT)? What about their style resonates with you?
Honestly, there is an incredibly huge amount of artists that I love and each of them has taught me something! I really love Mikhail Vrubel. I love the way he combines colors and his great skill, the powerful energy of his works. I also admire Dali’s art and his marketing’s strategies in the world of art, I think he managed it perfectly well! One could learn much from him)
Who is your favourite NFT artist? What makes this artist unique?
I can’t really mention just one artist because there are so many crazy-talented and unique artists in this space and it’s impossible to compare them because they are all different and each of them has their own exclusive style. It’s like choosing between pizza and chocolate)) it’s impossible!
What made you pursue NFT art?
The ability to share your art with a giant, diverse and unique audience, across distances and bypassing the laws of classical promotion in contemporary art – that’s what interested me the most in NFT. In NFT world everything is pretty clear and honest – there is only you, your audience and the collectors – people who are interested in your art. I believe that the sphere of NFT is a real game changer in Modern Art.
What is the one piece of NFT art you wish you had purchased but missed out on?
I wanted to purchase a few Bored Apes, but then I got distracted by my other projects and I missed my chance. I really like this project because the creators have organized an entire ecosystem that sets a very high bar for quality for many other projects.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go? Why this location?
Right now, I wish I could go someplace with no Internet or cellular communication just to reset spiritually. I think that this is something everyone need, especially creative people. Unfortunately, there is no such possibility now, since I am focused on a large number of my projects, but I hope to be able to do it by the end of this year))
What are your other passions besides art? Why?
As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’ve been playing saxophone for many years. It’s a very sensual musical instrument that requires a special approach. Music has often helped me and helps me in my life and I am very happy that I’ve got this unique experience.
Do you make other forms of art?
I’m building a so-called “bridge” between classical painting on canvas and digital art, combining various drawing techniques using physical and digital brushes. For me, this is the most beautiful thing in my work, because I want to make sure that Zhuk‘s art exists in two Worlds of our life simultaneously.
How did you come up with your specific style?
My grandfather and my mother are both artists, and I keep moving down our family path, combining the classical school of painting with modern interpretation of my vision. My work style is the result of long-term experiments in creating an optimal balance between different painting techniques. I’m glad that I’ve managed to create my own recognizable style. I believe that this is the most important thing for any creative person.
How has your style evolved over the years?
With each work, I try to improve my style and the level of art, working harder on the details with each time. This is a long process that requires complete dedication, but I enjoy seeing the difference between my early works and my today’s works. In any case, these are all stages of my creative path and each of them is very dear and personal to me. It’s so important for me to surprise myself first of all, then I can feel that I’m moving forward.
What is coming in the near future?
This year I plan to participate in numerous events all around the world, but I’ll be able to give you all the detailed information later in my social networks.
If you could collaborate with one artist who would it be?
I would really like to collaborate with Jeff Koons. Especially now that he’s also joining the world of Nft.
Do you have any upcoming drops?
In the nearest future, in June, I will exhibit my art on SuperRare physical gallery and there’ll be a huge drop on Nifty Gateway in Septrmber. I also can’t wait to see one of my works being displayed by NFT. NYC in Time Square in June, which will also be for sale. Follow the news))
Where can collectors find your work?
Basically, my drops take place on Super Rare and on Nifty Gateway.
I post all the information about the exact dates of my drops on Twitter and Instagram.
You can also see all of my works on my website – each work has a description and a link to the marketplace attached to it.
