REBELLICCA NFT artist interview | NFT CULTURE | NFTs and Crypto Art

by James · August 11, 2022

Where are you from? (State a bit of your background, have you moved, etc.)

I was born in Bulgaria, but I have lived in the Netherlands for almost two decades now. I grew up in the suburb of Sofia in the years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism. It was a strange and fascinating experience to see how this historical event shaped my generation. As children, we are keen observers and naturally feel both magic and excitement. The 90s in the Balkans were a generous mix of both: newfound freedom, but also violence and economic crisis. I believe that being exposed to such stark contrasts early in my life has had a profound influence on my ability to perceive, think, feel and create. Later the road took me to the Netherlands where I studied and then moved permanently. Expat life presented me with a new set of challenges. I guess you learn what you’re really made of when you find yourself immersed in a whole new reality, a new language and a new culture. We all naturally want to feel like we belong, but not all of us are meant to or can fit in even when reality insists we should. I still wonder where and what home it is. It has become a feeling rather than a location. Being an expat has enriched my understanding of humanity, relationships between people, prejudices and conflicting worldviews. This is probably the reason why themes such as freedom, identity, love and connection are so strongly present both in my visual art and in poetry. Perhaps the truest definition of home for me is found in a beautiful heart and in art.

Can you tell us about your background and what led you down the path to becoming an artist and eventually experimenting with NFTs?

I remember falling in love with art, music and poetry at an early age. My mother took me to museums, piano concerts and poetry readings whenever possible. I felt very strongly that this was my world. My mind felt equally comfortable with words, images and sound, stubbornly refusing to choose between them. I played the piano when I was happy, drew when I felt I couldn’t ask or say things, and wrote when I wanted to understand myself or the world around me better. When it comes to academic background, I have two degrees, one in English and American Studies and one in Management Information Systems. Practical circumstances made me deviate from my creative path, so I ended up doing business consulting, working for a Nordic IT group, while making art on the side. Amazingly, it was also my mother who predicted that I would leave the corporate world and return fully to my artistic core a decade later, and that is exactly what happened.

When did you make your first NFT? Which platform did you choose and why?

16 May 2021 is the date when I stamped my first NFT at FND. It was a hand-drawn meditative surface pattern titled “Metamorphosis” that was collected 9 hours later by Jesse Powell, CEO of Kraken (@jespow). At the time, FND was a new platform and it was difficult to get an invitation to it. @realmissNFT was the kind soul who invited me and made the beginning of my crypto art journey possible. I am eternally grateful to her.

Can you tell us one thing you can’t live without? (and why)

Art and love. Art is my oxygen, so I don’t think I could live without being able to create. Related to that is the need to be connected to myself and to others through it, to feel deep love and be loved.

Who is your favorite artist(s) (Not NFT)? What about their style resonates with you?

Among my favorite artists are John William Waterhouse, Salvador Dali, Lawrence Alma-Tadema and Tamara de Lempicka. They belong to different eras and movements, but what draws me to them is the depth of emotion, the sense of elegance, magic and timelessness they managed to capture in their art. I’m particularly obsessed with Dutch floral masters like Jan van Huysum, whose vibes can be felt in my latest series on SuperRare.

Who is your favorite NFT artist? What makes this artist unique?

My favorite NFT artist is Moteh (@iammoteh). I have called him ‘the undisputed wizard of light’ as I have not met any other artist in the room who has mastered the language of light as he has. His creations capture the imagination with their powerful emotions subtly expressed through elegant minimalist compositions. Moteh’s soul seems to have found its most exciting playground in surrealism and hyperrealism. It feels like he is always searching for the essence of dreams by defying and redefining what is real. Sometimes his art makes me feel like reality is just another dream and the surreal is the only real thing. Some of his pieces are enchanting pieces of paradise steeped in solitude, waiting to be shared to be fully experienced. In others, beauty is found in sadness or a sense of endless longing for the deepest love and connection possible. It is this longing, I believe, that makes many of his admirers, collectors and fellow artists always hungry for more of his unique visions. I especially love how versatile yet recognizable his work is. He proves that style is so much more than consistency of visual expression alone. It must be sought in the consistency of the artist’s energy, vision, presence and their ability to capture and transmit emotions.

But Moteh is also special to me for another reason. He and I are blessed to share a brilliant connection that allows us to dream, create and write together. Many fellow artists and collectors state that the synergy between us in both poetry and art is unparalleled. Maybe because we create with our heart and for us art is life. The magic in our art comes from a very emotional place of mutual artistic adoration, trust, a deep intuitive understanding of each other’s inner worlds and the way we feel and perceive the world around us. We are often told that we are living proof that art connects imaginations and souls in the most unpredictable and mysterious ways. We believe this to be true. So far we have met on the blockchain twice for collaborations in “Like A River” (a limited edition series) and “I Close My Eyes To See”. The latter was collected by the wonderful Hazel Powell (@hazel_pow), who believed in our synergy from the very beginning and encouraged us to explore it further. As our own art legend unfolds, keep an eye on our feeds for more Moteh & Rebellicca magic. We promise it’s worth it.

What made you pursue NFT art?

I have been interested in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency for a long time. I knew about the possibility of tokenization of art, but hadn’t really looked into it. It was Jack Butcher (@jackbutchr) who actually inspired me to consider NFT art when he started imprinting his work on FND. I followed his journey on Twitter, found it fascinating, decided to give it a try and joined the space in May 2021.

What’s the one piece of NFT art you wish you’d bought but missed out on?

In December 2021, Moteh embossed a piece titled “We Are All Data”. When I saw it, I was immediately captivated by it and wrote some poetry inspired by it. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to own a piece of art so much. The reserve for the piece was 10 ETH, which was pretty much all I had done in sales since entering

the place in May. I was so in love with the art that I actually considered meeting the reserve and collecting the piece. (And yes, I know what you’re thinking, ‘This is crazy!’) I shared my intentions with a mutual friend of ours who told me that a collector was already interested in the piece. I hesitated and finally the artwork went to @Crip2Dax. To this day I regret not placing the bid. However, something very good came out of it. Crip and I became a wonderful friendship and eight months later he became the collector of my SuperRare origin work ‘Surrender’. I couldn’t be more grateful and honored to have him mark the beginning of my journey on the platform.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why this location? What are your other passions besides art? Why?

I have always wanted to visit Japan and Australia. Both countries have been on my bucket list for a long time. Australia’s nature is fascinating and something I would like to explore. I find myself drawn to Japan’s countryside as it seems so calm, serene and beautiful. Lastly, I also want to visit Bolivia’s salt flats. This is a place I feel strongly attracted to and would definitely like to experience. The salt flats create a sense of an infinite world by mirroring the sky and every object in a perfect way. The photos taken by visitors remind me of being in heaven on earth…

What are your other passions besides art?

Exploring nature, traveling, writing journals, making cakes and pastries, automotive technology (yes, I love cars!), and above all, spending time near the sea and the ocean. This is what usually helps me recharge and regain my balance when I need it.

Do you make other forms of art?

Besides visual art, I write poetry and compose music for my multimedia works. My poetic lines also follow marked works by artists such as Archan Nair, Ronald Ong and Raphaël Erba, and Moteh.

How did you arrive at your specific style?

Short answer: by experimenting with visual aesthetics until I feel I’ve found what best suits the feelings I’m trying to express. I can work in different styles, but my intention is always the same: to create art that comes from raw, deep, real feeling. I go where my imagination takes me and try to dream and live my truth on the digital canvas and on the page.

How has your style evolved over the years?

Before joining the space, I’ve been making abstract pieces for years. I started with large canvas works and drawings, and later switched to digital art, which allowed me to try new techniques and create differently. In the meantime, I also wrote poetry and made music unrelated to the visual arts. A significant breakthrough in my artistic development took place when I realized that I could integrate the three mediums I love most (visual art, poetry, music) into coherent artworks in the format of rich media instead of having to choose one of them. Also, my latest series on SR is a break from pure abstraction and a transition to a form of magical flower surrealism. The series is a form of hybrid or mixed art. The floral compositions are hand drawn/sculpted by me on AI generated layers of texture and color that do not contain any shapes or objects. It took me almost a year to develop the technique, while researching the palettes and styles of great master florists. I

don’t think there has been a project that I have put so much heart into as I have in the “Floral Eden” series on SuperRare.

What is coming in the near future?

I would like to create more multimedia artworks, especially using C4D and integrating voice, visual art and poetry.

If you could collaborate with one artist, who would it be?

I love working with Moteh. It has been our dream for a long time to create more art together, so I think we will continue with that.

Do you have any upcoming drops?

My next drop is coming soon on SR. Watch.

Where can collectors find your work?

Social links:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/rebellicca

IG:

Links to the NFT Marketplace: