Daisa is one of the examples of how life changing 2021 was for many artists thanks to NFTs. Originally from Brazil, she onboarded dozens of artists and helped many of them to take the first steps into the community. In the end of 2021 she enrolled in a Masters Degree in Germany using the funds she raised during that year’s bull.
Daisa, thank you for talking to us! Most of us are aware of your work in the blockchain and your great influence on uplifting Brazilian artists in the space. However not everyone knows your background in the old pre-NFT ages. How and when did Daisa become this artist we know and admire?
There is no easy answer to that question. Art has always been an important medium to express my emotions for me, since I was very young.
Did you have support from your parents when you decided to be an artist?
In fact I did. Since I am dyslexic, learning to read and write was very difficult for me when I was a child, so my parents put me in dance class, and later on art classes as well, to help me express myself and feel good about myself. Eventually, I did get my way with words, but it was fundamental I could express myself in other ways that I was more comfortable with.
What were the biggest lessons you learned from your experience as a cinematographer? Do you think the set life has influenced your career as a photographer?
My career started with light and shadow with cinematography back in 2013, and after many projects and moving to a big city, I decided to work for myself and not depend on productions and teams, so I thought photography might work. Was not my first choice, was actually more like plan C, but fast enough I understood the power of it, and I could also rescue me, once again creating for myself.
You use yourself as a model to create many of your pieces. Going beyond and crafting surreal and fantastic scenes. What makes you decide between a self portrait or working with a model? What are the advantages and downsides of both choices?
As I only had this option during the pandemic, I started taking self-portraits, which wasn’t exactly an artistic choice at first. As an advantage, I am not dependent on other people’s schedules, willingness… As a disadvantage, not being behind the camera limits my movements. I like to move around with the camera, but cannot do that when I am also in front of it. I’m however much more conscious about the frame I want beforehand due to the tripod’s stillness and me alone, which is also a constructive process.
You’re from the Brazilian countryside and yet managed to connect with people from all over the globe, building a strong network around yourself. Did it happen naturally or did you have to work hard to make those bridges?
I believe the pandemic loneliness and internet was very important part of my connection, people were much more open to this (both ways), but since last year and things ‘going back to normal’ I feel everything is distancing again, a normal reaction of having to work outside again, people moving with their lives. So it was easy in 2020, 2021 because of the circumstances.
2021 was a year of dreams coming true in the NFT Community and your dream is one of them. Would you tell us about your Master Collection and your experience living in Germany?
Oh yes, I could only move to Germany because of NTFs, I saved most of what I earned with a goal, my Master’s degree in photography. ETH was all times high and I had almost enough for this next step in my life (would never happen just with normal life jobs), so I created a pre-collection of my Master’s project -yet to be minted-. I had a lot of support and it was amazing how all of this happened.
What’s your earliest memory related to art?
I don’t really know. As mentioned before I was always incentivized to create, draw, dance.
When and how did you learn about NFTs?
It was the beginning of 2020 and I saw a tweet from Oreste Mercado saying he sold a photograph for like 1k, but in ETH as NFT. I didn’t understand much, but enough to love the photo and think it was possible to make money with my art, and so I did.
How do you think NFTs are changing the way we experience art?
I think it has a great potential, as we could see in 2021, giving voice and changing lives for under-recognized artists that would never have the chance IRL. I hope this wave comes back once again and more people can find their spotlights. I am far from being a big artist in this space, but only in this space I could find recognition, support and growth, as many others.
What’s your ultimate goal as an artist?
That some part of my small existence may live longer than me and impact people.
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