George Boya is a digital artist based in Greece, drawing inspiration from various sources, including art by other creators and events in the digital and physical world. He started with hand-cut collage art in 2004 and now explores new digital techniques. His notable work includes “Cosmic Chess” at @AsyncArt, a unique playable Chess set. George believes in surviving the bear market for the Cryptoart scene to bloom again and hopes for wider understanding of their value and beauty. When not creating art, he enjoys collecting discarded items.
NFT Granny: “Dear George, I want to thank you so much for taking your precious time. In anticipation, I have been exploring a lot of your art, which led me to wonder – how do you tackle creative block? Do you employ any particular strategies to keep the ideas flowing?”
George Boya: This is a very good question, dear Granny, and a creative block is a serious matter for an artist. Very early in my journey, I realized that this will be my number 1 enemy, and I had to find a way to fight it. The first strategy I employed was always to make a series of artworks and explore a theme from various points of view. Another was to occupy myself with another form of creation, like painting miniatures; an idea can come when you least expect it. But I think the best strategy is to just let the creative block pass through. Ideas cannot flow all the time, and there is always the danger of starting to repeat myself. We all get stuck from time to time, it’s normal, and we should relax and just let it pass.
How did you first become interested in art, and how did you get started with it yourself?
George Boya: I was always creative and used various mediums like sketching or miniature painting. But I got serious with hand-cut collage art back in 2004. I remember it all started with an idea I had to make stained-glass-like art using pieces of photos instead of glass. When I created the first collage, I was so inspired by the process and the result that I kept exploring the medium for the next 15 years.
Could you tell us more about the story of your series “Mechana”?
George Boya: MECHANA is a visual representation of my art journey, starting from the early attempts to recreate a stained glass window using hand-cut collage as a medium, to the present with new tools enabling me to create multifaceted art in the digital space. As with my previous artworks at Async, I wanted to add a game element, and in this one, my inspiration was a Rubik’s cube where AI is the player and solver of the puzzle.
Open on Superrare.com
Open on Superrare.com
Open on Superrare.com
Which of your artworks are you most proud of?
George Boya: If I had to put one on the top, it would be the Cosmic Chess at @AsyncArt. It was a really unique idea to make a playable Chess set where every move is immortalized on the chain. A very enjoyable collaboration with the Async team.
Open on Async.Market
Is there an artist you would like to work with? Like a collaboration?
George Boya: I am always open to collaborations, and I really enjoy the visual dialogue between artists. Right now, I have finished a collaboration with @sturec5 as part of her upcoming series “Inflated Egos,” and I am also working on one with @ogar that will combine voxel architecture and collage.
We are curious 🙂 Would you be willing to share any plans of upcoming projects?
George Boya: Of course. For almost a year now, I have been working a lot on Procreate, trying to rediscover the “stained glass” technique I used in my hand-cut collages and reproduce it in a new digital way. So far, the results are really good, and the process is very enjoyable, so I am planning to work more on it.
Who or what are your biggest influences or sources of inspiration?
George Boya: There are many sources of inspiration in my art, and I think I am influenced all the time by the art I see from other artists, but also from the events that happen both in the digital and physical world. It is inevitable; this is how artists work. They take inspiration in and breathe it out through their art, just like breathing.
Is there something specific you are trying to express with your art?
George Boya: I think it is always this journey into the digital world that I am expressing with my art. The path it leads me on and all the wondrous and terrible things I have witnessed are the stories I am visually narrating to the viewer.
What do you feel when you are creating new art?
George Boya: It is a rollercoaster of ecstatic and depressing feelings. Sometimes I feel like an all-creating god delivering a masterpiece, and other times I feel like a useless worm good for nothing. I think all artists feel the same, and in the end, art is really a journey of self-discovery.
What do you feel the moment a project you’ve created dropped?
George Boya: I want to be honest; I feel stressed! I believe that the “sale” part is something that artists should not handle, but other people capable of delivering this kind of work. We try to be merchants and promoters, but through the process, we lose something of ourselves.
Do you remember the first time you heard about NFT technology for digital Art?
George Boya: Maybe I should not mention this, but I first found out about NFT Art in the summer of 2018. The truth is that I could not grasp the concept back then, and it took me almost 2 years to jump in. My conclusion is that everyone will understand something new in their own time.
How do you enjoy the NFT Art you have collected? Do you have a way to display it for example at home?
George Boya: To tell you the truth, I do not have any other means of display other than my computer screen or tablet. I feel that right now, my need to collect crypto art pieces is greater than my need to display them. If that makes sense, lol.
What would be your biggest wish for the NFT Art scene? What is currently missing / not fully developed to reach full potential out of it?
George Boya: My biggest wish is to see the Cryptoart scene survive this devastating bear market and bloom again, more mature, in the next Bull run. I guess it’s up to us, so no wishes will help—just hard work, an open mind, and a good mood. I think that, in order for this scene to reach its full potential, the rest of the world must understand what we are exactly doing here, which is creating value, beauty, and scarcity for the digital world.
What is the most disturbing thing when it comes to NFTs and cryptoart in your opinion?
George Boya: I’ve seen many disturbing things, but I don’t want to talk about them, and I don’t think we can do much to change human nature. However, what we must do is find ways to protect ourselves from the dangers of the digital world. Vicious bullying can really traumatize people, and character assassinations can be truly destructive. My advice is that people must not stand alone in this. Try to have friends who trust you and who can help and understand who you truly are. We are all in the same boat, and most of our experiences are common.
We would really like to know, where do you see the NFT Art scene in the future?
George Boya: I see a bright future for the Cryptoart scene. We are building a common ground using art as the main tool, which will help us understand each other better, bypass differences, borders, religions, and celebrate simply as human beings. Art stands as a light above this common ground, and that’s why it is so important.
Which tools do you use to create your art?
George Boya: I use Photoshop and Procreate.
What does a typical day for you look like, and what do you like to do when you’re not busy with NFT
Art?
George Boya: I spend most of my time in my studio, where I have arranged everything to keep myself occupied with indoor activities. I don’t go out much, as it’s a crazy world outside, lol.
Usually, I wake up early because I really love the morning silence. I have my coffee and spend my time either on Twitter, checking what’s going on, or making new artwork until the evening. Afterward, I might watch 2-3 episodes of American Dad, and that’s all for the day.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
George Boya: The best piece of advice I was ever given was from my father, and it was “Don’t take things too seriously.” I am trying to keep it always in mind.
Is there something aside from art or NFTs you collect?
George Boya: I have a passion for collecting old discarded stuff from the road. I cannot really help it when I see something that I believe has value and a story; I want to take it. Even though most of them end up in storage and are never used.
Where do you like to travel?
George Boya: There are so many places I would like to travel to, from East to West. I would like to discover the beauty of our world.
- Full Name: George Boya
- Date of Birth: 10th of May 1976
- Current hometown: Thessaloniki, Greece
- Languages he speaks: Greek, English
- What did you want to be when you were a child: An Artist
- Education: Technical College
- Your first Job: Construction worker
