Gomesu

CAN Review – Gomesu is a Brazilian artist and musician whose work has a vitality and freshness of aesthetic that takes inspiration from a wide range of sources:

My work is an amalgamation between, 30’s cartoons, Ukiyo-e prints and scifi comics.

https://www.instagram.com/aka_gomesu/

His style is eclectic in nature and reflects a painterly approach alongside the elastic qualities of characters in 30s cartoons, where limbs extend and stretch to emphasise motion, The high contrast colour palette also adds to the cartoonish quality. The addition of ‘ghostly or spectral’ characters create another layer of interest in Gomesu’s artwork, as we can see in the following artwork on hicetnunc entitled ‘Kitty couch’, which sees a skeleton figure resting inside a cut-out meat portion of a stylised Ginger cat. The subject matter combines with the painterly brush strokes and colour palette to create a surreal and captivating image that transports the viewer into a very different landscape.

The final artwork features additional recurring motifs in Gomesu’s work. Namely, a keen eye for typography and lettering, vertical type that runs downward (much like a Japanese neon sign), wires leading off the canvas and the dynamic depiction of motion. The depiction of these running characters suggests that they are running away from some danger, as the characters appear to scream the words and the female character glances backwards towards a possible antagonist.

Gomesu’s work is a welcome addition to the cryptoart landscape, and we at CAN look forward to seeing more of his compelling and distinctive artworks in the very near future.

Name
Gomesu

Social media links and website profiles
https://gomesu.co​
https://www.instagram.com/aka_gomesu
https://twitter.com/aka_gomesu

Foundation: https://foundation.app/aka_gomesu
Opensea: https://opensea.io/accounts/Gomesu
Hicetnunc: https://www.hicetnunc.xyz/tz/tz1UG4oadhRK9JWBKpvs5Bwn4Y5jtaFa8fmb

​What is your background as an artist in general?
I have been drawing all my life, and art has never left my side at any time. I am self-taught, and cartoons and comics have always been my companions and my references. I have worked in various types of jobs (I started working at 11, I am 42 now) from 16 to 18 I worked making murals. I saved money, bought a computer, learned to use the programs, created a portfolio and knocked on the door of an advertising agency, where I started as an assistant. I have been evolving, learning and I have been working there ever since, doing design, illustrations, packaging design etc.

What is your overall process in generating art?
I don’t follow a specific line, I like to let the creative process start in a loose way to begin with. I like to let things happen and in this process, anything goes: scribbles in the notebook, I like play guitar, and often a sound tells me a color palette and vice versa. I like to doodle a lot, and also create lots of thumbnails … I also use different materials gouache, nanquin, acrylic, markers, and crayons. When I see something I like, I then start looking for reference material. I look for light, anatomy, gesture … yes, I choose the final material that I will work on (lately I have been working more with digital) but I intend to return to the canvas soon.

How would you describe your art in your own words?
I feel that when I am creating, it is always on a fine line between the connected and the disconnected, between dream and awake, between life and death. My art is eager and devout. The mixture of colors for me works like the mixture of musical notes forming a chord. It can be sad or joyful

Favourite artists / influences?
Hmm… This is very difficult (laughs) there’s so many… but I will put here 7 Masters who changed the course of how I make my art…. Frida Khalo, Matisse, Frank Miller, Tarsila do Amaral, Samico, Monet, and of course, the biggest art giant that ever stepped on this little blue ball… Vincent Van Gogh.

How did you discover the new blockchain world of Crypto Art and NFTs in general?
The agency where I work started doing work for a cryptocurrency exchange. As I was not aware of any of this, I had to open an account to know the product I was going to develop… between one brainstorm and another I asked myself : and can this include art? I Googled it and BAM! … my life turned upside down (laughs)

Has the digital nature of cryptoart NFTs changed how you approach your art practice? 
Yes for sure, seeing all these dope artists doing really good things with 3D, animation, loops doing collab with musicians … I feel like I’m 10 years old again and trying to experiment with new software, new techniques… when everything was possible

What if anything, has surprised you about this new area of art practice?
What surprises me is that it looks like the beginning of the internet. The possibilities have suddenly multiplied by a million … Imagining where all this is going is exciting

Please provide 3 examples that you would like to feature in your blog entry. (e.g. webpage urls that feature a distinctive pieces of work that this website can use with your consent)Feel free to grab on my instagram https://www.instagram.com/aka_gomesu/​

How would you like the field of cryptoart and nfts to evolve over time?
it’s a decentralized world, isn’t it? I would like it to continue like this, but to make more and more space for new artists. Lately I’ve been reading about Tezos and I think it’s a very important tool for artists who don’t have ethererum to put their works on sale. in my country the dollar is 6 times more expensive than our currency. working in Tezos is inclusive, and can really change lives

How can access and information to this new field of art practice be encouraged? 
To show that it is an inclusive field and that anyone with the minimum investment can sell their art is a great start. Solidarity forever!