Identity is a difficult concept to tackle in any context. In our current day and age, it’s hard enough to understand the complexities that come with a “concept of the self,” but when you throw burgeoning technologies and digital culture into the mix, identity becomes an entirely different ball game.
For artists, identity is about more than just understanding the concrete facts of being yourself. But perhaps it is the desire and journey to find one’s identity that drives so many creators down a path between the intricacies of formative experience and the need for self-expression.
This is certainly true with AlienQueen: a versatile creator who uses art as a medium to understand her past and evoke manifestations of the mind and identity. Every week, nft now Next one reveals a new artist from our curated list of emerging talents who have caused a stir in Web3. This week we are excited to show you AlienQueen.
Alien Queen
Alien Queen is a contemporary artist based in Miami who specializes in digital illustration. Her works are strongly inspired by psychedelics, dreams, sex and death. With her art she tries to evoke comfort and fear at the same time.
In addition to sci-fi themes, AlienQueen’s experiences growing up as a Cambodian refugee living in the United States have also influenced her art. In particular, she and her family’s experiences over the years have contributed to her unique perspective on love, mortality, and connection.
The subjects in her pieces are often meant to project a sense of immediacy, but also palpably suspended in time. Her many collections, laden with her signature color palettes and compositions, have become quite coveted in Web3 and have led her to collaborate on a variety of influential projects – most recently Snoop Dogg’s NFT Passport series.
We had the opportunity to ask AlienQueen a few questions about NFTs and her artistic process.
NFT Now: How did you first become interested/involved in NFTs?
Alien Queen: I first became interested in NFTs when I read an article about Grimes selling her digital artwork on Nifty Gateway. She’s an artist I admire, and I thought [her drop] was really interesting. I did some research and since I’m a computer animator/illustrator I wanted to explore the NFT community.
nft now: How would you describe your art?
AQ: My art is definitely psychedelic trippy art, captivating, colorful and vibrant. These artworks evoke a sense of visual stimulation, with the characters and objects blending and fusing together with a melting effect. I try to recreate my feelings or what I see during a psychedelic trip.
nft now: what does your process look like? Where do you usually find inspiration?
AQ: I never know where I’m going when I start an illustration; the creativity comes during spontaneous moments, and then I would sketch what I would feel at that moment. Some illustrations would take weeks or even six months to complete, all depending on my emotions and vision.
Most of the time I feel like on good music, get lost in my wonderland and draw obsessively. My inspiration usually comes from within, such as an experience, emotion, and even parts of my childhood. I’m not very good with words, so I convey my emotions in works of art as best I can.