Today we’ll talk to Yomu, a self taught artist from Brazil, whose anime style piece are taking over the NFT space. We’ll get to know a bit more about his background, inspirations and how he became this hit we know today.

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Yomu! Gm! You claim to be a self taught artist and considering the quality of your pieces, that’s quite impressive. Would you tell us about your journey as an artist and how you managed to evolve so much all by yourself?

Well, being self-taught makes the road much more complicated, but at the same time it freed me from the shackles of traditional art, as I don’t stick to classic concepts or specific art techniques.

I’ve been involved with art for a long time. I remember watching the first anime when I was 7 or 8 years old, Saint Seiya (or in Portuguese, Cavaleiros do Zodiaco, translates to Knights of the Zodiac) and I thought the features were completely beautiful, dazzling I would say, and that’s when I fell in love. I can say with certainty that anime allowed me to get into art and after that, all I thought about was drawing, until recently I still had my childhood sketches (nostalgic I would say).

I have a very niche style, which is talking about Japan and Japanese culture, so I’ve always focused on that and I have no intention of leaving. Until recently, I hadn’t stopped to take anything off paper, so much of what I produced was already created, just not digitally.

In 2021 I bought my first table, the Wacom CTL 472, it wasn’t the best but it was what I could afford and that’s when I entered the world of blockchain and NFTs. I started out collecting generative art, I think I’ve collected over 500 pieces since I started and then I saw the market for my art style and went all out.

What’s your favorite anime or manga?

Saint Seiya is my passion and always will be. I’m still waiting for new animations even though I know it will be a bit difficult hehe.

Do the characters you create belong to the same world or are they standalone creations? Have you ever considered creating a story of your own?

Some of the characters in some collections belong to the same universe. The “Hannya” and “Tokyo Sketch” collections are niche and all the pieces listed are part of the same universe, in different locations and times.

I have a project (still in my head) for a collection in a sequel story, but I don’t work 24/7 with art yet. When I can, it will certainly leave the project and come to reality.

How long do you take from the first idea to the final piece?

Whenever I think of something, I think little about the end, so I can work the beginning in a simpler, freer and more open way, I tend to change it several times before finalizing it, but I can say that between 7 and 10 days is enough to that.

Who’s the artist that has inspired you the most?

I could not fail to mention Masami Kurumada, the master of manga, in my opinion, with one of the most beautiful and consistent lines on the market. I also have a huge crush on Asaf Hanuka, an Israeli artist.

Did you sell any pieces before NFTs?

The entire art market in which I work has always been related to blockchain.

When and how did you learn about NFTs?

In 2021. I owe a lot to my friend @allexbenedith for introducing me to the world of NFT’s, even though I’ve known about blockchain and crypto for a long time.

When you’re depleted of inspiration, what drives you to keep going?

I think writer’s block is something common and standard for all artists. There are days when nothing goes right, nothing looks good and many pieces ready to be exhibited are discarded, however, it is a phenomenon that must be faced very clearly. The moment I can automatically perceive a creative block, I tend to stop what I’m doing, take a shower and do other activities that renew my mind.

How do you think NFTs are changing the way we experience art?

The NFT’s are still very reclusive to a niche, which is the twitter community for the most part, however, I believe that it is an environment that democratizes the art debate, which has always been extremely elitist.

I believe that if blockchain and NFTs did not exist, it would be difficult for formerly beginner artists like me and other big names in our space to experience and show their work to the world.

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Yomu, one thing is for sure: an anime with the characters you create would be a blast!! Congratulations for your work and rest assured you’re an inspiration for many people. Thank you for being part of the ArtPacks team!