First one to take our Artist Spotlight is an amazing Flora Márquez, illustrator and comic artist from Córdoba, Argentina. Bold lines and colors, details, symbolism and short whimsical stories written by Flora blend perfectly into the wonderful and fun new universe that we definitely want to be part of. Hope you enjoy this interview!
Can you introduce yourself? Are you a full-time artist?
Hello! My name is Flora, I'm an illustrator and comic artist and I live in Córdoba, Argentina. I'm not a full-time artist yet. I also work as a graphic designer.
How did you get into arts? Is it something you've been doing all your life?
I have drawn all my life. It's a way I found to express myself and channel everything that happens to me. It's also a way I have to record my days. Drawing was always there for me. It is one of my greatest friends.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by life. The everyday. The common dialogues between people. Looking at bugs under the stones. Getting lost in a book.
Watching movies. Having great conversations with friends. Reading comics. Going to the river inspires me. Talking to my dog.
How did you hear about the NFT industry? What got you into it?
I had been trying other alternatives to Instagram for quite some time, because it wasn't being useful to me, I didn't feel seen or valued. I didn't see it as an "artist-friendly platform". I tried Patreon and different other spaces. One day, just three months ago, @tornado_ilus tweeted me. She said "Hey Flora, what do you know about NFT?" And while I answered "nothing", I googled. And since then I'm here trying to learn the mysteries of this amazing universe.
What opportunities NFT space brought you so far, what are your future expectations?
One of the great opportunities that this NFT world gave me was to meet amazing people, very talented artists and to generate links and ways to share what I do. And also, (how can I forget it) to sell my art to buy working tools. Something that seemed totally impossible just a few months ago.
I try to avoid generating expectations regarding this. I try to stay focused on the possibilities that the platform is giving me TODAY without thinking too much about tomorrow so as not to generate anxieties.
Can you share some female NFT artists you love?
There are so many incredible artists! I'm going to leave people out for sure, but here are a few I love:
@tornado_ilus, @la_delmas, @floragavilan, @dudidolph, @numadessas, @gabicoco_, @jazminvarela_, @flopaland, @EstrellaMerga, @boullonivana, @ada_1_jpg, @Astr4K, @pupeilustra
Rapid fire questions:
What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
There is an ice cream shop where I live that makes amazing avocado ice cream.
Have you ever lived abroad?
Nope. Always Argentina.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Watching shitty Reality Shows like "Too hot to handle", "Are you the one?", "Love is blind", etc...
What is the best movie of all times?
Young Frankenstein
What would your last dinner be?
Probably ASADO (Argentinian barbecue)
Who is your hero?
I don't have any. Or maybe all the women I know are. My best friend, my mother, my grandmothers, my aunts.
Why are you a rebel?
I'm a rebel because I never let things just pass me by. I don't get used to things. I always try to keep in me the capacity to be amazed. I marvel at the simple things and the magic of nature and all the beings that inhabit this planet.
Artist's links:
Twitter: twitter.com/soylaflora
Hen: hicetnunc.xyz/FloraMarquez
Instagram: instagram.com/floramarquez
