“Terra Elemental Garden” by Marcelo Pinel
How long have you been making digital art?
I started making digital art around 2016, just having fun on MS-PAINT where I made series like ECOHOUSES. I already worked as an artist with painting, sculpture, installations and due to lack of space, I could express myself artistically on the computer. It was last year that I became interested in 3D art and I had to learn in tutorials on youtube, since then I fell in love.
Why did you start making NFTs?
I loved doing my digital arts and I just posted on Instagram or Behance, it was the way I had to spread the word and get some feedback from people. I got to know NFTs in March of this year, and it seemed genius, because I could sell my work without having to worry about how to deliver or print it to the buyer, and besides, I didn’t know how I could make money with my work. be doing illustrations or animations on orders. Entering the world of NFTs was revolutionary in my life.
Why did you choose hic et nunc?
The biggest problem I faced actually entering the world of NFTs was the ETH gas rates, which are very high. This investment scared me, as I had no idea if people would even like my work. Then I discovered Hic et Nunc that used Tezos and that the rates were much cheaper, and besides that it was a Brazilian site, my country of origin. With little time of use, I fell in love with the democratic dynamics of the site and the community.
“PARVUS MVNDVS Cosmic Temple” by Marcelo Pinel
What inspires your style and creations?
I have always been fascinated by the arts of ancient peoples from all over the world, such as the Assyrians, Egyptians, Aztecs, etc. I believe that although there are geographic, cultural and social differences, there is always a common thread, related to archetypes, to universal symbolism, an expression of a human being who is independent of place or time. I think a lot about a concept I read in Eliphas Levi, that Kabbalah is like something simpler and more innocent in nature and at the same time complex and profound. I look for this for my work. Something that relates to the inner child, the spiritual, mystical. I think my role is to perpetuate and universalize images from various cultures and times, to make an ancestral future.
But anyway, I’m always looking for references in Jung, alchemy, mythologies, cultures and peoples of the Americas, etc. I’m always looking for images.
Did you ever have a time where you thought art is a waste of your time or there was no future for your art?
Of course, I’m not sure what it’s like in the rest of the world, but here in Brazil art is very undervalued, it’s hard to find work and it’s very low paid. I graduated to be a teacher because I was disillusioned with the possibility of earning money from my arts. Fortunately that all changed when I discovered NFTs and saw people from all over the world who valued my work and liked it. It changed my life.
What has been the happiest day of your life?
Without a doubt, the happiest day of my life was when my daughter was born, which made my life have a higher meaning. I dedicate my work to her.
What adds value to your art?
I don’t know exactly, maybe the characteristic color palette, or the mystical themes represented in happy and playful ways. Anyway, I can say that I do them with a lot of passion and sincerity, I have a lot of fun with them and the results always surprise me.
“MAITHUNA The Tantric Arcanum” by Marcelo Pinel
What is your favorite artwork(s)?
Hard to choose, I have special affection for Terra Elemental Garden, Legend of Abraxas and Maithuna. But if you ask me this at another time I may change my mind.
Who are some artists on HEN that you like?
I really like art, I like almost everything in various styles.
I’ve really liked Supertrip64, Lafrich, Eduardo Bertone, Jimmy Edgar (maybe this is my favorite at the moment), Pilar Zeta, Spogelsesmaskinen. I’m sure I’m forgetting some very important ones.
Any advice for artists or collectors?
This advice is what I have to talk to myself from time to time and it applies to artists and collectors, be patient, don’t let anxiety and haste get in the way of the process. For the artists, who are the ones I most identify with, I recommend that they follow their hearts, as each one has a unique and specific language of art, and eventually the due value arrives.