cryptoquariux
editorial
march 31, 2022 — TEXT cryptoquariux & cyril vinchon — artwork cryptoquariux
Cryptoquariux is a young Brazilian artist whose creative universe is on a par with those of his more well-established peers. At just 18 years old, he knows exactly how to define himself and is well aware of the world in which he lives. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) seem to be the future of digital art when it comes to ownership and monetization. Here’s a glimpse of his magical Metaverse world in an exclusive portrait.
I'm Victor, mostly known as Cryptoquariux or Aquariux, I’m 18 years old and I’m based in Mendes, a small town in Brazil. My art focuses on a mix of vintage aesthetic eras, fashion, ethereal couture, and technology. I have always been into art, ever since I was 3 or 4 years old. I remember drawing random sketches on the walls, some of my favorite cartoon characters on a mirror, which was something that always got my attention - people, especially fictional characters.
My childhood was kind of hard I guess, and I think I’m probably a bit of a loner today because of things that happened in my past, especially in school. I remember being excluded by others on several occasions and perhaps that’s affected the way I am, but I don’t see that as a bad thing anymore. I actually like being away from the crowd, I’m used to my own company and sometimes I hang out with my virtual friends on Discord. As a Gen Z child, the internet really helped me to learn English and develop the ideas that I transpose in my artwork today. I’m drawn to ancient art, aliens, deep sea creatures and particularly things related to atomic bombs and radioactivity. Ever since I heard Grimes’ album Miss Anthropocene, the idea of an “beautifully ugly” creature, which magnifies a real sense of tragedy by morphing into a sort of symphony, really got under my skin. I started to work with crypto art when Grimes released pictures of her digital avatar War Nymph and used it to make a collection of NFTs. It awoke such a depth of artistic inspiration in me that I felt the need to give a sense of reality to my 2D characters and dreams.
When I really started out on my career as an artist, my parents’ relationship was hanging on by a thread. They're separated now, but I remember feeling lost at the time and not wanting to go study at university like most “normal” people, so I started working on my old computer, using the base of a sewing machine and a piece of an old wooden wardrobe as a makeshift desk. I had an old dining room chair too that was pretty uncomfortable (I definitely remember that).
As I continued to work, other artists and some really amazing people began to notice me, support me and tell me to keep going, pursue my dreams, and that’s what’s got me where I am today. Using the income I earned with NFTs, I bought a new computer, a new desk and almost all the furniture in my bedroom. I’ve got lots of ideas for new projects and I hope to be able to carry them through. The word is constantly changing, which gives artists more control, and it’s also more technologically adapted which, in my opinion, means that we’re closer to a revolution than we’ve ever been before.
