Can you start by introducing yourself to our readers? What’s your name, where are you based, and how would you describe the art you create?

My name is Darius, I go online by BakaArts and I'm based in Germany. My art focuses on futuristic, cyberpunk and sci-fi designs with with colorful and eye-catching concepts. But I am also not afraid to go into darker subjects and art styles.

So I see in your pinned tweet that one inspiration we share is Ghost in the Shell. My cousins showed that to me when I was just a kid and it changed my perspective forever. What about that film resonated with you and what other sorts of stories and mediums inform the visuals you create?

I think what caught my eye with GITS are the excessively intricate details and toned-down colour palette. The story is also complex and mature, they weren't afraid to go into dark topics either, in fact they encouraged deeper and darker themes. The dystopian factor always fascinated me because it's a very real and possible scenario that can happen in my lifetime.

I mostly get my ideas spontaneously and I write them down or draw little scribbles on whatever I have on hand, be it paper or my phone's note app. I also dive into sci-fi series a lot and I am very inspired by not just my vision but the visions of others.

Dope. In terms of the technology you use to create this art- what’s the flow here generally? You do 2D and 3D very well, I’m wondering a bit about how those processes interact.

I mostly use Cinema 4D for all the work that I do. Recently I have been enjoying Blender which offers many features that C4D doesn't, for free. In comparison to a while ago when I just used Photoshop, I ran into the issue of finding stock images to do photo manipulations with. Out of frustration, I took a year break to learn 3D exclusively. That was 3 years ago. I use a windows PC with powerful graphic cards to render my artwork to a final product and then do post-work in Photoshop.

Beautiful. I truly love the graphic style. What are your first impressions about what we are seeing in the NFT space? What are hopes for how it unfolds? What are you wary of? And have you seen success in minting your work on any of these platforms?

As a new person diving into the NFT space, I've noticed that the community is extremely welcoming and friendly. Big names collaborating with unnoticed artists, Clubhouse chats to teach people and spread the word. I have nothing but good to say so far. I hope it grows exponentially and becomes a safe haven for artists that are tired of being under-appreciated in the art world. Right now there isn't anything to worry about since everything is new, however it could happen that countries will impose some some of regulation over this space.

I have been accepted to SuperRare, MakersPlace and KnownOrigin so far and my first drop will be on Friday February 12, on SuperRare. It will be the first ever NFT Graphic Novel/ Short Story collection on the market, The Ethertales.

It will have an ever-evolving main story, accompanied by illustrations which each contain their own short story- set in the universe of Etherea. It will be completely decentralised and exclusive to the NFT space.

I am very excited and extremely terrified. I took 2 weeks sick off-work to make this happen, or better said, finish it. And on February 12, everything will unfold.

My goal is to inspire other writers and artists to make a more story-focused approach with their art in the NFT market. I think it would be amazing to see multiple worlds being created instead of just a one-off.

Wow. What a great answer.. I’m stoked for this drop now!

Here's a link to the trailer, watch it to get a better idea of what's coming.

So exciting to see how this concept unfolds, I think it’s brilliant. When did you discover your sense of creativity, and was it encouraged by others in your life or did you have to swim against a current of people telling you there’s no money in the arts?

I was never the smart kid in the class. I was always average and I hated school in general. I mostly just went for the people. I liked having friends around. I mostly kept to myself about my artistic side. I'm a reserved person so I only share when necessary. I always was the creative guy, loved doing dioramas, drawing (badly) and my futuristic art style was influenced by video games from a young age. Specifically The Matrix PS2 game. It opened a whole new world for me. I owe my career to Keanu <3. I'm not even joking. That shit changed me.

Any words of advice or encouragement you have for someone who is looking to dive deeper into their creative side?

Yes. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what type of artworks you enjoy making. If it doesn't work out with sci-fi photo manipulations, then maybe it will work out with 3D. Or maybe you have an affinity for props, masks, physical things. Who knew you are talented at woodworking? You never know unless you try. I'd just say to explore your options if you want to dive into the art world because in the end, you will find something that synergizes with you.

Excellent answer. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us, really looking forward to your upcoming drop on February 12th!

A note for the reader, add @BakaArts on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on upcoming work and drops, and see his link tree for more work as well.