artist interview: valéria van der ko
On June 3rd, 2021 nftreats celebrated its very first auction leading up to our official marketplace launch in August 2021. Our mission is to represent erotic art in the crypto space and provide an uncensored platform where artists can share their visions of sex, sexuality and eroticism. Sex & sexuality are two of the most exciting, touching and deeply personal topics in the world that are of interest to each and every single one of us. We want to help put artists on the map who help us talk about these things without shame or fear, beginning with moscow-based painter Valéria van der Ko, who has cornered the market on erotic illustrations and watercolor paintings. Valéria is new to the nft space and is auctioning her genesis nfts with us!
Valéria’s first NFT sold for 800$ (0.03ETH)
We met the free-spirited artist and got the chance to ask her a few questions.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, who are you, where are you from and what do you do?
Sure, Hi! I’m Valéria, My pronouns are she/her and I am from Moscow, Russia. On my passport, I am 30 years old, but I feel more like 16 at heart. I’m an artist, freelancer, cool daughter, perfect friend and mama to my beloved cat Anton.
How and why did you start creating erotic art?
I started it long before it was mainstream, back in 2014. I finished my education in fine arts and was searching for my own style, well and a job. I didn’t know what I wanted to draw and present to my audience. At first, I only did sketches of naked girls, because I wanted to practice my anatomy skills. Later it developed into something more daring. More audacious. I got more and more fascinated by the topic and style and that’s how my work was born.
Do you remember your very first artwork?
Honestly no. I started drawing when I was only 4 years old. I was drawing all the time when I was a kid so my parents took me to art classes before I started primary school. It was a course for 5–6 to children, very basic classes. I had a teacher there, she thought us painting. She was the one who told my parents that I have a talent that needs to be developed and she suggested art school for the first time.
My first proper work I did in school at age 9. It was a still life painting, but I want to consider it as my very first work.
Can you expand on your creative process, from choosing a topic to how long it takes to create one piece?
It totally depends. But I would say usually a couple of hours to make a digital paint, if I get really into it. It’s probably roughly the same for a small size watercolour. For the bigger size paintings, it will take up to a couple of days.
I always try doing it in one session only. I go from start to finish before I touch my next project. If I put it away, it means that it will probably never get finished.
What are the biggest obstacles for you as an erotic artist?
Instagram’s censorship is a huge problem for me. They block my posts, I am being shadow-banned and I could lose my account and with it my livelihood any day. It’s very stressful sometimes. I need social media to showcase my art. I meet collectors and fans on instagram, so I depend in the platform as an artist.
Oh and annoying guys who send me unsolicited dick picks because I draw erotic things. But I’ve learned to deal with it and ignore it. It’s fucked up though.
Has the Internet and social media always been a part of your work?
I guess so, yes.
What kind of impact would you like your work to have on the world?
Peace and love and beauty. No rules, no racism, no feminism, no violence. I want people to be easy and happy and don’t judge others all the time because of where they are from or what their gender is or their skin color. If I could contribute to a more judgement free world where people don’t get discriminated against, that would be my dream.
What impact do you think NFTs will have on erotic art and its creators?
I am hoping that blockchain and NFTs will make our lives easier, give us a new space where we can grow as artists, where we are appreciated and where we don’t have to be scared to get censored all the time. Erotic art is important and has a huge market. So to put it in simple words, I am hoping NFTs will help us make a living wage and have greater success as artists. I am looking very forward to this new community.
If you could have dinner with another erotic artist, who would it be?
With myself.
Finish this sentence: Sex is…
complicated.
Which one of the pieces you are minting is your favorite?
My favorite piece is Mango. It has a very personal history so every time I look at it I have to think about this night.
Join our discord to chat to Valéria and many other nftreats artists personally and stay up to date about upcoming events and drops.
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