TokenEditions proudly welcomes artist, 3D motion designer and art director Kirill Maksimchuk as he presents his genesis drop of NFT artworks titled “Solitude”. Each artwork in this collection showcases a vivid, glass-like 3D sculpture, revolving in a highly-modern setting juxtaposed with rugged nature. These artistic fusions are inspired by Kirill’s love for nature, biology, and, above all, the feelings evoked during his solo explorations in the wilderness and his intrigue for the natural elements he finds along the way.
Nestled between Lithuania, Poland and the Baltic Sea, Kirill lives in the Russian territory of Kaliningrad. It’s a region rich in natural resources, including the world's most abundant supply of amber, a fossilized resin with a yellow-orange color and a unique formation process. The centerpieces in Kirill’s artworks are inspired by the beauty of these gems. “We as humans can't make anything that does not exist in our world,” says Kirill. “Everything we create is inspired by something that’s already here.”
Conversing with Kirill about the color of amber, the shapes of the trees he sees during his forest hikes, and the clearness of the neighboring Baltic seaside, we understand the great impact that even a small discovery in nature can have on his creative ideas, and ultimately the details we find in his artworks.
With equal enthusiasm, Kirill shares with us another passion as important to him as creating art: music. More specifically, hip-hop, death metal, and electronic. Kirill’s an avid concert goer (he’s been to over a hundred shows!), and he’s also a guitarist and a singer in a band.
The collection “Solitude” is a coming together of Kirill’s passions, harmoniously representing his curiosity for nature and of his love for music. “My art is my experiences mixed with my passions,” says Kirill. “For me, that’s when the creative process happens easily.” The title of his drop and it’s description are borrowed from the song “Solitude”, by one of his favorite bands, Impure Wilhelmina:
The frail wings of loneliness,
Let my soul fly free.
Never too high, never too far,
Before I crash on my knees.
The burden of loneliness,
Worn over the years,
Is the burden of selfishness
And unconquered fears.
Kirill Maksimchuk’s artwork has been exhibited globally, notably in the Korean Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul. Kirill’s been invited to participate in a variety of shows and exhibitions: he was a guest motion designer at the Australian festival "Pause Fest 2019", and in 2017, he was a guest juror at London Digital Art Exhibition "Digital Decade 5", an annual exhibition where his digital artworks have also been previously featured. Kirill has also collaborated with top international tech and fashion brands such as Nike, Google, Mercedes, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Riot Games, Bayer, Macallan and more.
Kirill’s creation tools for this collection: PC, Cinema 4D, Octane Render, and After Effects
TOKENEDITIONS TALKS WITH KIRILL MAKSIMCHUK
TE: Why do you make art?
KM: All of these ideas are stuck in my head, and I start to feel heavy if I’m not creating and bringing them to life. It’s that simple.
TE: When did you begin to call yourself an artist? Was there a specific moment / accomplishment that led to this, or was it gradual?
KM: When a couple of my projects were exhibited in the Korean Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul. This was the point where I thought to myself, “now I am officially an artist.”
TE: If you could collaborate with any musician with your art, who would you choose?
KM: An impossible question =) Being a music fan for 25 years, it's really hard to give specific names. I’m listening to dozens of genres and hundreds of musicians at any given time. Instead of giving a specific name, it’s more a question of the mood I’m in with the art that I’m creating. Something dark and melancholic definitely resonates with my personality and art.
TE: What music are you listening to right now?
KM: At this exact moment it's Son Lux - Tomorrows of 2020.
TE: What do you like to do outside of creating art?
KM: I enjoy hiking with my favorite music keeping me company.
TE: Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone) famously said “The most important thing about the first sale is for the very first time in your life something written has value and proven value because somebody has given you money for the words that you've written. And that's terribly important. It's a tremendous boom to the ego, to your sense of self-reliance, to your feeling about your own talent.” This quote is applicable for all creatives, not just writers. What did your first sale feel like, and how did it change the course of your life (if at all)? How much was the payment amount, and what was it for?
KM: I started in 2007 as a graphic designer. I was creating low quality works for the first 2 years. In that period of time, I started to make logotype album covers for local music bands. I can't remember exactly what I charged, but if it wasn't for free, it was maybe around $10-20 USD for a logo and $20-50 for a cover.
