Interview with an artist.

Welcome to the KiwiNFT interview, our new special column where we showcase both emerging and established artists. Today we have a very special guest, a brilliant Generative Artist, AI Researcher and Caliper Co-founder. Ladies and gentlemens, greet Devi Parikh.

Devi Parikh is a Research Director and an Associate Professor. Her research interests are in computer vision, natural language processing, embodied AI, human-AI collaboration, and AI for creativity. She is in the Forbes’ list of 20 “Incredible Women Advancing A.I."

In this interview, she shares how and why she got in NFTs, where she finds inspirations for doing art, her impressions of the NFT space and its future, and many other interesting things.

Make sure to check out Devi's Foundation page - foundation.app/@deviparikh

Okay, let’s dive in!

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1. When and how did you find NFTs?

I've been making generative art since early 2018, and am part of a Slack team where many generative artists hang out. I first came in close proximity of the buzz around NFTs through conversations there :)

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2. Why did you decide to join the NFT party?

It was primarily out of curiosity! Since I was in close proximity of a lot of conversations about it, I was curious to try it -- to see what the experience is like, what the platforms are like, what the community is like.

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3. What is inspiring you?

That is hard to isolate. A lot of things inspire me and move me -- some mundane, some exotic; some stereotypical, some unexpected; some specific, some diffused -- colors in stones, textures in snake skins, graffiti, wall art, digital illustrations, acrylic pouring, mandalas, ethnic fabrics, looking out the window during a long taxi ride, Indian culture, feedback on my art from a trusted friend, deep conversations with people, a piano-playing -- I could go on for a while.

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4. What is the major difference between CryptoArt and all the other art?

I don't think of it as CryptoArt. I think of it as (generative) art, like I always have. For me, the art hasn't changed, what has changed is the availability of a technology that is particularly well-suited to trade and monetize it. That has resulted in a community that didn't exist before -- that brings together collectors and artists who likely wouldn't have found each other otherwise.

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5. What makes an artist successful in the CryptoArt scene?

I am not entirely sure, I'll let you know if/when I become successful and have ideas on how/why I succeeded :)

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6. Who are your favorite artists in the NFT space?

There are so many! To name a few, Aaron Penne (@aaronpenne), Amy Goodchild (@amygoodchild), Anna Lucia (@annaluciacodes), Caleb Ogg (@iso_hedron) -- and that's just the first few letters of the alphabet :) Some others are Piter Pasma (@piterpasma) and Nadieh Bremer (@NadiehBremer). There are many more amazing artists in the genartclub community!

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7. What is the future of NFTs?

I don't have anything particularly insightful to say about that :)

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8. Please give one piece of advice for artists who are only starting with NFTs?

Give it a shot! Don't stress over it or obsess over it. If it works out, that's a bonus! If it doesn't, you're still making art which is good :)

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9. Where can collectors buy your work or know more about it?

‍foundation.app/deviparikh and twitter.com/deviparikh