Today I'm speaking with artist Ryan Koopmans, who creates surreal work where nature can be seen reclaiming spaces that have been left to time. I really love his work, as it feels to me like the beauty of life growing into spaces that life has left, in a way. You can also find him on SuperRare. Let's dive in.

Can you begin by introducing yourself to our readers? Your full name, where you are from and the mediums you work in?

I'm Ryan Koopmans, a lens-based artist living in Stockholm, Sweden. I was raised on Vancouver Island, Canada, and born in Amsterdam, so I am Dutch-Canadian. My background is in documentary and architecture photography, and I increasingly incorporate 3D elements in my work in collaboration with Swedish artist Alice Wexell.

That's awesome. I love how technology enables us to blend different mediums together, and furthermore, to allow creatives to combine styles and create worlds that couldn't exist on without this overlap.

Yes completely. It really allows for your imagination to run wild.

Where did your creative journey begin, and when did you begin to leap into more of the conceptual / 3d work?

The constantly evolving technology really allows you to push the boundaries of ones work.

I've always been interested in architecture and the built environment. Initially I was going to become an architect, but changed direction and received an MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from The School of Visual Arts in New York City.

I then worked around the world as a photographer creating images and documentary stories since 2012. The inherent traits of documentary/journalistic photography doesn't allow for the creative manipulation of an image. Overtime, I developed an interest in modifying some of my pictures to better convey the message/feeling of the subject that I was drawn to in the first place. It's also fun to work on an image, after the experience of shooting it.

When you trace back your creative roots, what are some of the first moments you knew you wanted to make a career from being creative?

When creating my portfolio for architecture school in my early 20's, my dad lent me a camera to make photos with. I hadn't any experience with photography before that, but I was immediately hooked and became solely focused on that. The freedom to travel and work on multiple projects simultaneously was very exciting. So basically when I started to take photos, I immediately knew that a creative career would be in my future.

Creativity, if you can use it right, certainly is a key for more freedom of time and movement. What has been your experience so far with the NFT world, and what are you hopes for the future of this space?

I've had a very positive experience, and it's been great getting to know and learn from people in the NFT space who I otherwise would never have met. I love how generally speaking everyone is very positive, helpful and encouraging of one another’s work. That's very special and inspiring.

My long term plan in the NFT space is to continue to push the boundaries of the work I make particularly through embracing new technologies, and collaborating with others who bring a totally new skillset to the table.

My hope for the future of the NFT space is a continuing enthusiasm for fine art and photography. It's amazing how many artists are currently able to fulfill their creative potential, support themselves, and not be as hindered by the old ways of the traditional institutional art world. It's a great opportunity for a lot of people to create strong work and have an audience that appreciates and values it.

It does feel like the technology is finally here to help creatives renegotiate their relationship to the internet. I hope we can maintain this level of interaction and keep the community a place of positivity and inspiration.

Was creativity encouraged in your early life or did you have to fight against a push to go after something more traditional for how you make a living?

I was lucky enough to grow up in an environment that was very supportive of creative pursuits, in a part of the world that values art and the natural environment very highly. I always knew that whatever I would end up doing for a living, it would involve a lot of exploring, witnessing and learning about the different ways that people and cultures exist.

Ah yes, well said. Curiosity is fuel for exploration, and I certainly see that explorative nature in your work.

I love to wrap up with this question. What advice might you have for someone who is a bit earlier on their creative path? Or wisdom you've gained that you would tell yourself if you could go back to when you began?

That's a good question, and I think that everyone's path is unique and non linear for the most part. One of the most important things for me was to figure out what it is that I love to do, obsess over it, and then determine how I could do that in a sustainable long term way.

In my early career I would work side jobs to supplement a creative income. I used any opportunity I could to have my artwork benefit from that job. Whether that was staying in a location after an assignment for more days to shoot 'personal work', or working a job that payed money but more importantly enabled unique access to a certain subculture that I wanted to photograph/experience.

Thank you very much for the talk, and I love what you are doing with ALLSHIPS!

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today! Wonderful advice, and wishing you all the success on your creative journey. To the reader, connect with Ryan via SuperRare, his Twitter, and his Website.