1. What do you think about the TON blockchain?
— I think TON is doing great technologically integrating Telegram and has the potential to introduce interesting features. The TON is an easy-to-use blockchain with a low commission and a high-speed transaction. I will follow its development.
2. Why did you decide not only to work with the TON Diamonds team but also to buy a few Diamonds?
— There are a lot of reasons. I'm participating in many activities in crypto-related events. I love to listen to feedback and observe the crypto market. The TON has a lot of interesting projects. Still, it is necessary to anticipate all the factors: get to know the team and their principles on community building and see how they work with the artists. Right now, most of the marketplaces are pushing young artists. It's a great idea - artists are interested in communicating with TON and building a community within this blockchain, setting a low mint price, and exploring what NFT is. There has been no digital platform for professional artists so far. It is crucial to make everything perfect, consider the visual aspect of the platform's interface, have a proper auction structure, and work on the project's growth within the community. It became clear that TON Diamonds were on top of the game when I began researching all the eventual integrations and communicating with their founders. The team are professionals when it comes to making an incredible product, - we had many things in common. Our friendship will live on, and we will continue to work together.
3. Are you planning to expand your Diamonds collection, or two is enough?
— I love what the team is doing. When I purchased an NFT, I did it for myself. That is how I show my support for the project. I'm always trying to talk about the success stories of the blockchain. For example, there's an Evangelism concept – you participate in the project and share your knowledge about it with others. I can't express enough how important it is not to create NFTs but to focus on their utility and integrate it into your project's economy and community's management. The TON Diamonds has succeeded in all of the above and made it clean. First of all, you have access to the private chatroom. Then, I also loved the idea of the wallet design. And finally, when I started observing the marketplace, I noticed that genesis fans were not expensive. The Diamond I purchased rose in price by 50-70% in a couple of weeks. I've found a lot of advantages for myself - and bought the Diamonds.
4. Are you planning to expand your Diamonds collection?
— I will observe the floor, but I have no intention of buying off all the Diamonds. It would be interesting to interact with NFT, which has its utility and is visually appealing. I won't sell those that I've already bought, for sure.
5. Will you make another collection for the TON Diamonds marketplace?
— I am interacting with the market very carefully, the consequences of crypto winter conditions are unknown. I'm more interested in creating and building a community than creating new collections.
6. What scale of the project do you want to carry out?
— Imagine a person who discovers in the 20th century that he can go into space and immediately tries to reach the Moon. He thinks if he had walked on the Moon, he would have made a record and changed human perception forever. He has walked on the Moon but doesn't know what to do with it – you can't build anything there. The man has made an achievement for himself; there's nothing after. But this action inspires others so much that it significantly impacts the people of the future. Those people will want to become astronauts and discover new planets. In this way, that particular man was there to inspire others and show that humanity is limitless. My projects are the same – I'm not here trying to create something that no one could overcome, even though it happened before. For example, I've made the biggest calligraphy in the world(11 000 square meters), and I was aware no one would make an art piece so big in the nearest future. But I didn't stop there. My main task is to inspire people and make them dream, to give them a sense of lightness and courage, a desire to change something in this world. I want to unite people through my art.
7. What happened to the Lamba? Where is it now, was it sold? I am interested because it was the first project I've seen.
— It was an official collaboration with Lamborghini, and it took place in December 2016. The Lamba was always a Lamborghini property. It was part of an exhibition in the UAE; I don't know what happened with the car afterward.
8. Can you tell us more about the collaboration with Nike? How many common projects did you have, and what are your impressions about this collaboration?
— In 2015, I collaborated with Nike international, and in 2017 I worked with Russian Nike. I love working with various brands. I started working with major brands in the early stages of calligraphy development. It was all about creating a superb design; the work did not have the intention of simply promoting the Pokras Logo. It was a lovely experience! Fun fact – I discovered that if Nike orders you a print in November 2014, it will come out in January-February 2016. This means the company has a large cycle of production and collection preparation. It had a significant impact on me, and I realized that you could see all the fashion trends that we see today much earlier in the art scene.
9. What is your relationship with the gym? Do you have enough time to practice anything?
— I want to talk about the gym and cybersport. I started paying more attention to a healthy lifestyle at the beginning of the year. I began going to the gym, normalized my diet, and felt great. I plan to train a bit after our session.
10. How do you plan to evolve in the NFT art sphere in the future?
— I am focused on the new projects with my team. A significant job is being done for future work: adding a neural network and integrating some collages. There're a lot of unreleased materials, an extensive integration into the 3D metaverse objects, an experience in digital clothing, and some magazine covers. For example, I've released the June RBC editorial's magazine cover with a QR scan feature, which teleports you into the metaverse. Currently, I did the cover for the Forbs magazine. I do a lot of work and don't have the time to share everything and even record Telegram stories.
11. Do you have any idols in the digital art world? What NFT projects do you like? It can be outside of TON.
— I follow a lot of artists, and I am pleasantly surprised by the number of talented people all around the world. I love the works which have to do with neural networks. New artists are already creating without knowing how great their work will be. You only need time to develop new combinations and create new artistic groups. I like to see what is happening right now in the 3D world, the new forms that are appearing. Many cool things are happening now in crypto, which unknown artists make. Art – is always about what will come in the future. I am following a lot of young projects. Never underestimate young artists.
12. What are your impressions of the exhibition in Dubai?
— The ambiance was very cozy—an exciting way to present the artwork. The demonstration was very well done. I liked the location and the digital screen; the set up was extraordinary—an excellent start for future exhibitions.
13. Did you consider the Diamond purchase a marketing activity or an idea of investment?
— My motivation is simple – I liked the project; I saw that it looked cool and chose, in my opinion, the nicest Diamond available on the market. I also appreciate the process of the transaction and the access to the private chatroom.
14. We want to see your collection at TON. How is it possible for the community to take part in the creation of the new collection? How is it possible?
— It is always very cool to do something together with the community, with people who are implied in the project. Another issue is responsibility towards the community. If you are doing something, you need to do it in the way for the idea to live and develop with the community. When realized, it should serve people. I need to think about this proposition.
15. What could you recommend to an aspiring artist? From where to start, how to improve?
— It is essential to understand that an artist and his art are united, which means you have to work 24/7 and create 24/7. You need to find a balance and turn your work into art. It's always about practicing and questioning yourself and the world around you. You must improve your style, language, mind, and character daily. For balanced growth, finding a community with similar interests is better. The improvement comes faster through collaborations, ideas exchange, and experience. A successful artist is someone who believes in himself more than others do. Being an artist is an incredible process and a lifelong experience.
16. How do you see the future of the Diamonds on the international scene? For now, it is more of a Russian community. When will it adapt to the global market?
— In the early stages of any project, it is essential to accentuate how you want to build it. The international status is assigned, not if you take a worldwide name up front but when you do global events, happenings, developments, and integrations. Everything has its time.