Meet Milana Juventa
Welcome to an exploration into the world of Milana Juventa, an acclaimed digital artist known for her unique blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, and her work with Bitcoin ordinals. In this interview, Milana opens up about her artistic journey, inspirations, and the evolution of her craft in the blockchain era.
How did your journey as an artist begin and what inspired you to incorporate Bitcoin ordinals into your work?
From an early age, I embraced the world of art, nurturing my skills in both painting and graphic design. My artistic style beautifully combines elements of expressionism, magical realism, and abstract and figurative forms.
My works have been showcased in prestigious group exhibitions across the globe, including Japan, Cuba, Italy, China, Great Britain, Brazil, France (with notable displays at the Louvre Museum in 2015 and 2017), Russia, and the United States, as well as in the Metaverse. I am proud to have collaborated with esteemed entities such as Megafon mobile operator and Paul Mitchell, and have been recognized among the top artists under 35 years old in national rankings.
Having immersed myself in traditional art for an extended period, I recognized the immense potential of new technologies and embarked on a thrilling journey in the world of NFTs in February 2021. This revolutionary technology has opened up boundless possibilities for sharing and preserving art on a global scale through blockchain, truly making it everlasting. For the past two years, I have enthusiastically participated in Metaverse exhibitions and NFT.NYC on Times Square billboards, where the experience is nothing short of pure enchantment.
For me, Ordinals is a way to immortalize art in blockchain, a unique opportunity to connect my talent with high technology. I really enjoy working in partnership with Gamma, it's a real family that supports artists and has a high level of professionalism.
How would you describe your artistic approach?
As a multidisciplinary artist, I use a wide range of styles and trends in art. You can see both traditional materials and digital technologies in my works, and sometimes I mix them too. For my Ordinal series I have chosen a minimal monochrome graphic style based on hand-drawn pictures. These works are philosophical and make you think about eternal themes, this is generally characteristic of all my work. I would love for viewers to scrutinize the details and relate them to the suggested descriptions for a full immersion in the aesthetics of black and white emotional impact. These are deeply conceptual works and are chosen for a reason - the time of their creation is about the same as the time of Bitcoin creation.
Can you highlight some of your works released using Bitcoin ordinals?
My black and white series contain a multitude of interpretations and histories, they offer the opportunity to delve into a richly detailed story with minimal means. For example, "Monochrome Reverie" is a visual symphony, playing on the powerful interplay between light and shadow, form and void. You can discern here a philosopher's stone that has fallen into diamond hands and given the wearer wisdom.
"Whispered Aspirations is something alien, addictive, and mesmerizing. Prolonged contemplation of the abyss prompts a response from its depths. Beware, for this silent echo weaves its way through the tapestry of your thoughts, etching itself on your innermost self. Draw near, peer within, and heed its monochromatic, mesmerizing gaze, for it accepts you just as you are.
And finally, "TripGuider" is a real talisman guide in the world of blockchain, a half-shamanic image that shows the way with the help of celestial lights and artifacts.
What is your background in traditional art?
Originally and since childhood, I have been an artist of traditional materials and techniques, my career has spanned over 20 years, and I have an impressive background of international exhibitions and prizes. Before the NFT, this was the only way to spread my art around the world, physically sending paintings to collections and exhibitions. I am proud of my in-real-life exhibitions in the Louvre as well as in European and Asian capitals. My favorite materials are canvas, oil, and acrylic. I also love mixed media techniques and graphics. The mastery of digital techniques gives me the opportunity to work faster, without the expense of physical materials and transportation, and these moments I particularly enjoy. Now everything can be done faster and easier, so my paintings shown in Times Square are all in digital format.
Reflecting on your artistic journey, how have you evolved?
Being an artist is an eternal journey, an eternal search, and path. Sometimes it seems that you are standing still, but it is not so - the process is started, and it cannot be stopped. I experiment with different styles, technologies, and mix them, I get a synthesis of events happening right now and fuse them with visual means of expression, it's pure emotion supplemented with modern technologies and having its own aesthetics and philosophy.
What advice would you give to aspiring digital artists interested in integrating cryptocurrencies into their work?
Fear nothing, listen to no one, and believe in yourself 🖤
