In the world of crypto art, when you think of Sci-Fi or cyberpunk - Dangiuz is the first that comes to mind. His work hits many different notes from dystopian to utopian and from cinematic to surreal. Dangiuz' works have been collected by some of the greatest collectors in the space such as VVD, 6529, batsoupyum, KBM, OSF, Vonmises and many more.
- Mr. Dangiuz, welcome to The Notable Ones. Please share a little bit about your background and how you got involved with crypto & NFTs.
Thank you fren! Gm. I've been a digital artist for more than 15 years - started off with some photo-manipulation back in 2007, and throughout the years I switched to 3D. I came across Crypto in 2017 thanks to some friends who are familiar with it since 2014, so I somewhat had an idea of how Crypto worked. Joining NFTs came natural when in June 2020 a platform sent me an email explaining how it worked and asking to join them to sell my artworks as NFTs. I couldn't join right away due to some things I had to do with work, as well as pandemic situation being very bad in Italy, but I started following the scene and I loved the idea; I saw all my artists friends talking about it as well, so after a little while I joined as well.
Beyond the Pillars of Hercules
- The Sci-Fi vibes dominate your work and one common thread throughout is the black cat - though I did see a white cat in “Wasteland”! Rare? Tell us about what drives these themes and the cat you frequently include.
Hahaha, thank you fren! To be honest I'm just a cat guy. I just love cats, I have two and I regularly donate and help shelters neutering and rescuing strays. I like to think cat in my work pushes that "human figure in a big dystopian scenario" even further - sorts of puts the viewer in a position where they sympathize and "root" for the cat, hoping they make it alive in these dangerous and scary big cities. The cat thing was born in 2017 circa, where I posted an artwork on Instagram featuring a cat and when I posted the next one the cat wasn't there - so I would have many people asking "Hey where's the cat? Bring it back!" and I was like "woah okay calm down"! And it sorts of became my signature, my easter egg, my good luck charm... And so on. I feature cats of any kind really - most look black simply because majority of my artworks are set at night - so even if they were tabby or white you couldn't see it, unless the artwork is set in a day time, like Wasteland.
- You got involved with Fake Rares with PEPECYBER [Series 5 Card 37] and had a number of drops since. How did you find Pepe and what made you jump in?
Think I came across Pepe in 2015, in the Twitch Chat of a streamer I used to follow. Pepe reactions were fun and very expressive, and then I started googling, found out about Matt Furie and all that concerned Pepe culture. Instantly loved it and started using it as a meme everywhere. My first Fake Rare was "CYBER PEPE", and then I've made more and more.
- You’ve worked with TV networks, car companies, magazines, museums, and recently on boarded with AOTM. What has been the most fulfilling part of your journey so far? And if you had a “pipe dream” goal - what would that be?
Since when I began making art, my goal was always trying to improve. Everything that has happened just sort of happened, I didn't picture this happening in any way and every day I'm feeling grateful about being able to make a living off what I love making. All of this is the result of improvement, hard work, dedication and sacrifices. The most fulfilling parts are the small things, such as the genuine compliments and kind words that people have for me and my art. I think the pipe dream is having my art showcased in a museum like MOMA or Guggenheim's permanent collection.
- Any final Notable remarks?
We are Pepe. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.
Are you not entertained?
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