Gigi Gorlova is a Dubai based artist and graphic designer. She is one of the first women in the UAE to sell her work as NFTs. Gorlova began her artistic journey at an art school in London and has a degree in graphic design and illustration. Moreover, she has been doing digital graphics for over 10 years.
We had the pleasure of interviewing her and asking about the particularities of her art, as well as her experience with NFTs and how it has benefited her and other artists. Additionally, we talked about art as an investment and her opinions on investing in NFTs.
I’ve been doing digital graphics for over 10 years. But in terms of 3-D art I have started learning 3-D software at the start of the year. Now all of my artwork is in 3-D format and collectors really seem to love it.
Gigi Gorlova
2. How would you describe your style?
My style is surrealism mixed with pop art. I’m obsessed with colour, as well as metallic and glass textures.
3. What are the steps of your creative process like?
As someone who makes art daily I have to keep a sketchbook of my ideas. My creative process is usually pretty organic throughout the day. I could generate ideas from my dreams or from what’s going on around me then I would sketch them out and think about how I will make those in 3-D. I didn’t get so into the blender software which is a free 3-D programme and create the piece. The idea, the execution and the final piece is all done in one day.
4. What inspires your pieces? Do you consider your work as conceptual art?
I’m mostly inspired by surrealism and hyperreality. I think in this day and age with the Internet we already live in hyperreality and I like to explore that further in my artworks. I would say some of my pieces of work are conceptual but some are just aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It really depends on the idea for that day
5. As a digital artist, do you find it challenging exhibiting your work?
Before the end of tea space came along I did find it hard to exhibit my work and even so my work. Most of my work was actually sold as prints on T-shirts etc. But now with so many NFT platforms it’s easy for people to see my work and to purchase it.
6. Who is your audience? How do people react to your work in UAE vs Abroad?
I have a very mixed audience, some of them are purely collectors, some are investors, some are crypto currency fans and some are artists themselves in the NFT space.
I’ve had a great reaction from the UAE audience as well as people abroad, I would say most of my collectors of abroad but I still had some interest from UAE collectors also.
Gigi Gorlova
7. When did you gain interest for NFTs? How have they changed the game for you as an artist?
When I first started learning 3-D I didn’t know about the NFT space. As I started to interact with other people in space, that’s when I learned about NFTs. This technology gave me the ability to sell my work in a way which was never possible before. This is the first time in history that a digital artist could sell work will a traditional artist would and get the same recognition. So it’s a complete revolution in the way that we see our work.
8. Would you say NFTs are a good investment?
NFTs are a good investment but like every collectable (physical or digital) some are better than others. When you come into the NFT space and you would like to invest please make sure you do your research on projects and their history before purchasing anything.
9. Have NFTs benefited you as an artist both financially but also in terms of recognition?
Yes they have both benefited me financially and have brought recognition. I have recently been on the cover of Khaleej Times Wkdn magazine and without NFTs this wouldn’t have been possible.
10. How do you see the art world in the future? Do you believe there’ll be any changes because of this new era?
The future for the art world will have a lot more inclusion for all sorts of artists, from digital to physical. Something that I’m very much looking forward to is the expansion of virtual reality art and amazing exhibitions and shows that will stem from that.
11. Do you invest in another artist’s NFT’s? In your opinion, whose work deserves buyers’ attention?
Yes I do buy other peoples art and some of my favorite artists at the moment is Bayu Marlin and Paul Massey, on Instagram as @paulmassey1.
13. Do you feel there are more male artists getting on the NFT wagon? If yes, why is that
Yes, there are definitely more male artists than female artists in the NFTs space. I honestly have no idea why but maybe one of the reasons is because of the technology and understanding the tech behind blockchain and smart contract ect.
12. What plans/projects do you have for 2021?
At the beginning of the year I started an Everyday‘s project which I will be continuing for this year and probably the next year also. The reason for this is so that I can learn 3-D software quicker and while learning the software producing beautiful works every day to share with my audience. This project involves me making a piece of artwork every day from start to finish in one day from the idea to the final piece.
To follow the artists work, you can find Gigi Gorlova on Instagram: @Gigigorlova_
