He started drawing as a kid and hasn’t stopped ever since. That’s what we call real consistency, and it’s not surprising that this is his #1 tip for anyone dreaming of becoming an artist!
Now, after decades of perfecting his craft and experimenting with numerous different techniques and tools, his impressive portfolio includes beautiful work for influential companies like Coca-Cola, Fast Company, Heineken, and Audi.
Kaloian Toshev, a.k.a. MZK, likes to introduce himself as “an artist, illustrator & designer on a mission to bring more beauty to the world.” We are compelled to agree this is something that encapsulates him rather well!
In this edition of Industry Talks, we are bonding over topics we have in common such as NFTs, staying creative, and more.
MZK has an obsession with female beauty and has found his life’s purpose in celebrating women through his digital art. A man with many interests, this amazing artist is also the co-founder of several exciting startups, including Awera – a tool for holistic productivity.
If you follow him on social media you’ll notice that besides everything else he has got going on professionally, Kaloian is also into extreme sports such as snowboarding, motocross, kitesurf, and Ving Tsun. When he’s not making magic on a tablet or in a sketchbook, you’ll find him practicing one of these somewhere in nature.
A lover of both technology and art, MZK has discovered his ultimate and life-long passion in creating digital art. And that’s what we’ve come here to talk about.
1. How did you first hear about NFTs and what made you interested in becoming part of the space as an NFT creator?
I first heard about NFTs about a year ago from a fellow artist I follow. He was talking about his works being sold online and that made me curious. I started researching what “NFT” means, and when I found out it immediately made so much sense. I had no doubt this is going to be huge for digital artists.
2. What does art mean to you?
Expression, way of life, meditation, aesthetics, and calling. I’ve been drawing since I was a kid and for me creating is the most natural thing.
3. You’re one of the founders of Sublimes, a partner of Evedo’s new NFT platform for fragmented art – Fragmint. Can you tell us a bit about the vision behind Sublimes?
With Sublimes we wanted to create a generative collection where every piece is aesthetically pleasant and beautiful. We ended up with the concept of 1111 colorful abstract queens. We also wanted to support the other digital artists in the space so we’re hosting weekly auctions for new up-and-coming creators.
4. Where do you draw inspiration from?
From within, but at the same time from everywhere. I am a collection of everything I consume, art, music, social networks, beautiful women, friends and fam, and so on. Inspiration comes from everything that feeds the brain.
5. What are your next steps or goals in terms of your professional and personal involvement in the realm of digital art?
Consistency. It is something everyone says all the time but it’s incredibly true for artists. Because the art process requires a certain state of mind, deviation, and detachment from the real world, being consistent can often be quite difficult.
6. What advice can you give to other aspiring artists when it comes to cultivating important relationships in the industry?
Same as above! Be consistent, but also be friendly as your collectors and fellow artists can become your friends and nothing gets better than this. To build honest and true relationships with everyone you like. And I know most artists are usually introverts and don’t really like talking to people that much, but don’t forget that you are the artist and people just want to get a grasp of who you are and what your life is like.
7. How do you envision the future of NFTs and the metaverse? What will it look like 5 years down the line?
Flying cars and everyone in VR 24/7, well, I hope not… In 5 years we will probably have an established metaverse owned by one company and that will be the new Facebook. But I imagine it would look more like a weird mix of surfing the web and playing Fortnite.
NFTs are here to stay and we will see more industries using this technology. In 5 years most digital businesses will have NFT technology integrated into their products in some form, but without all the fuzz we have now.
You can find Kaloian MZK here: Instagram, Facebook, Foundation, & website.
You can find Sublimes here: website & Twitter.
Make sure to explore Fragmint, our new NFT platform for fragmented art. Keep your eyes open for major news on there very, very soon!
