Hello dear readers, and Happy 2024! Today, I'm thrilled to bring you a conversation with the talented Skilux. I was lucky enough to meet Skilux at Art Basel- I've always admired his work and I'm happy to feature it here. Let's dive in.

To begin, can you introduce yourself to our community? Who you are, where you are from and the mediums you work in?

My name is Skilux! I am an artist based out of Belgium. I work with Photoshop and a Wacom tablet. I would describe myself as an artist who translates the complexities of human emotion into digital art. My work transcends traditional artistic boundaries, encapsulating the depth of feelings within bodies in motion. My unique approach utilizes a black and white palette to highlight the nuances of emotion, transforming the visual experience into an emotional journey.

Beautifully said my friend. You work holds a lot of energy, it feels raw and visceral, I absolutely love to look through it. How did you first begin to find your style and get started on this path as an artist?

I used to work a lot on cover art & apparel before finding out about NFT's and the whole Web3 space. I never really tried to make any "fine" art before, but after hearing about it all from my friend it seemed like a place where I would have a little more creative freedom- a place where i could do my own thing and possibly not have to worry about commissions. I started expirimenting with different styles in Photoshop and eventually landed on the style everyone knows me for- which is the iconic monochrome look alot of people became familiar with.

Love to hear that path and how it unfolded for you. What sort of mediums are you working with? Digital or physical or a mix of both? Would love to hear a bit about your proccess, from ideation to creation.

Well all I really start from is a thought, most likely something that I experienced in my past. My work is fueled by anything that has ever made me feel some sort of way- usually the negative parts- because art gave me the freedom to ventilate it all where my words would fall short. I never felt like I could talk to people about all of this. Making art made me feel like for the first time ever I truly had a voice.

In terms of process, I start by making a reference picture which I then put into photoshop and use a wacom tablet to reference the image and add textures, grunge elements etc.

Fascinating, and I can totally relate. Art is a way to express the inexpressible, something that can contain and communicate the things that words can’t. Glad you found this outlet for yourself and the results certainly do speak for themselves.

One of the goals of ALLSHIPS is to help people understand a creative life is possible. How has technology - both from the creation side and the networking side- enabled you as an artist in this era?

Honestly, social media is obviously a great tool for basic networking but I kinda dislike having to meet people behind a screen. It feels very vague, I prefer actually meeting people at an event like Art Basel or NFT NYC, where a face to face conversation with someone instantly creates a very different bond. I have made a lot of great connections- dare I say friends- this way.

From the creation side of things I have never used any traditional methods to be quite honest, I am a digital native so to speak, but Web3 definately changed my carreer in the sense of opportunit. What made me stay was the creative freedom it gave me.

Can you elaborate a bit on this sentence, "Web3 definitely changed my career in the sense of opportunity but what made me stay was the creative freedom it gave me."

What opportunities does Web3 allow for that you felt were lacking from other systems of internet art?

I used to work in esports after I did cover art and clothing- the difference was I had to make stuff for my clients- this limited the freedom I had in my creating because I had to make sure everything aligned with the customers wishes. With Web3, this all changed- I started to feel like from here on out I could be who I wanted and create what I wanted. Whatever would end up happening, it felt finally right and it eventually turned out that a lot of people liked and related to the art I made. For that, I could not be more grateful, and I will never forget the amount of love and support this community has given me throughout these last couple years.

Thats really what it all comes down to, an interconnected community of support that can help amplify output and build towards a better future for creative minds.

What are your upcoming plans for your work? Any projects you've made or are working on that we can highlight here?

Well during this rather harsh market I've just been focused completely on improving my craft. But I do have a big drop planned very very soon, I'm waiting on some final details for completion but it will be my biggest drop to date so definately keep your eyes peeled for that.

Awesome man. So great to hear a bit more about you and your process. Lastly, a question I ask of everyone- what is some advice you would have for a creative person just starting down their own path?

My advice is just to do you- don't let anyone tell you how to do your thing, don't follow trends, find your own path. Follow this advice and eventually good things will come.

Skilux , thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today. Really admire your work and your words here, and I look forward to seeing what else you get up to in the near future. To the reader, please follow along with Skilux via his Linktree.