Sturec is a digital artist based in Istanbul, Turkey, weaving intricate tales through her vibrant digital creations. Her inspiration flows from the majestic simplicity of nature, particularly the sea and mountains, and is significantly influenced by her own emotional ebbs and flows. Crafting art for Sturec is a duality of emotion, a journey mingling joy with the challenges of navigating her mood swings. From childhood days of rebellious creativity, drawing on sidewalks and her own limbs, she forged a path through the worlds of art and technology, even amidst a detour into engineering studies. With a rich academic background in both Paris and Istanbul and a decade of exploration across various creative domains, Sturec found her unique voice in the digital art world.
NFT Granny: “Dear sturec, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your dedication of time. While exploring various artists’ unique nicknames, I couldn’t help but notice that yours stands out as particularly special. Could you kindly share the story behind your nickname?”
Sturec: Dear NFT Granny, First of all, thank you for engaging in with this question with me. Your attitude and friendliness are truly precious. Actually, my nickname is quite simple; it’s composed of my surname with the initial of my first name in front of it. My real name is Seda, but when I started, I wanted to maintain a level of anonymity, so I chose to go with Sturec. Honestly, I love hearing different people try to pronounce it. My favorite pronunciation so far was from Jaen, turning it into: Stu-Rekt 🙂
How did you first become interested in art, and how did you get started with it yourself?
Sturec: I have been interested in art since I was a child. I used to paint everywhere: sidewalks, elevators, walls, my legs, arms—anywhere I could find, which was a bit frustrating for my mom. I loved sketching on manifold papers from around the age of 7, continually drawing geometric shapes everywhere.
Even though I had a keen interest in art, I studied engineering. However, it wasn’t for me, so I always found my way back to art. I studied Communication Design in Paris, and in Istanbul, I earned a master’s degree in Informatics/Design and Technology. For a long time—I mean, like 10 years—I struggled to find a place where I could combine art and technology, a way to enjoy life and travel without boundaries. I worked freelance, designed websites, learned coding, built brand identities, and tattooed for years. It might sound very fun, but it was also very tiring. However, I am now happy that I experienced several areas because I use little pieces of them today.
Your art series “No Perspective #12” is a series that challenges traditional perspectives. When and how did you come up with this idea and what is the story behind?
Sturec: No Perspective is truly special to me because, years ago, while I was experimenting with the software to create No Perspective, I was just beginning to learn about coding in Processing for generative art. It was a time of exploration and discovery, where I was immersing myself in the world of generative art.
No Perspective differs from my usual art because it uses abstract shapes to compose images that seem to bend and twist space, whereas, in reality, it does not! There is no specific perspective in the pictures, much like our lives. The program I used to create the pieces guided me in understanding how technology and art could work together, and that’s a part of the art that I really appreciate. Sometimes I need guidance because I can become easily frustrated.
Open on zeroone.art
Open on zeroone.art
Open on zeroone.art
Which of your artworks are you most proud of?
Sturec: It is pure, it is honest, it calms you down, and it is there to make everyone smile for a second. It might just seem like a sun and a rainbow, but sometimes ‘less is more’ rings true. Bowed was actually a gouache painting I made in 2011 and lost in 2019. After I entered the NFT space, I decided to recreate it digitally. However, that wasn’t enough, so last year I made the painting again in acrylic—my eyes still hurt!
Open on Superrare.com
Is there an artist you would like to work with? Like a collaboration?
Sturec: I have collaborated with great artists, such as the dear George Boya. In the NFT space, it has been rather easy and fun to collaborate with artists since you are totally independent and have no boundaries. Anyway, so many artists pop into my mind when you ask this question; the first ones are probably Reinhard Schmid and Fabin Rasheed.
We are curious 🙂 Would you be willing to share any plans of upcoming projects?
Sturec: I have three upcoming projects. One of them is a generative art collection on a well-respected platform (I won’t mention the platform’s name since I do not know their agenda). As usual, you can expect to see a lot of colors in it.
The other two projects are relatively anonymous, but one of them has a highly detailed and philosophical story behind it – I’m not the writer of the story – which fascinated me.
Who or what are your biggest influences or sources of inspiration?
Sturec: My biggest influences or sources of inspiration are definitely nature, especially the sea and mountains. Unfortunately, my severe mood swings also play a significant role, which I love to hate.
Is there something specific you are trying to express with your art?
Sturec: Yes, there is a particular message I aim to express through my art. My works may seem overly colorful or even childish, but their messages are generally dark; they implore you to stop for a moment and think. I am deeply committed to exploring human emotion and experience through my works. For me, colors are powerful tools for communicating ideas and feelings. Also, I love sarcasm
What do you feel when you are creating new art?
Sturec: When I create new art, I experience mixed feelings. Sometimes I am extremely happy because I am engaging in something I love, and it allows me to express myself quickly. However, this completely changes when I experience mood swings. They can make it difficult to focus on art and maintain that focus. They also cause my art style to change completely – that’s why you see different mediums in my works. Nonetheless, making art also helps me manage these feelings. So, creating art is a blend of happiness and dealing with my moods, but it’s still something I love to do.
Do you remember the first time you heard about NFT Art?
Sturec: Yes, I remember when I first heard about NFT Art. It was back in 2017, and I think it was related to CryptoKitties, but when I entered the crypto space, I primarily focused on trading during the bull season. After the frenzied bull season in 2018, I explored how to integrate art creation into the blockchain world. I learned more about NFT art while exploring online forums like Bitcointalk and checking out new dApp sites. The platforms Creary and SuperRare caught my attention!
At that time, the NFT art scene was quite small, and the prices were much lower than they are today. I decided to apply to SuperRare, marking the beginning of my journey into NFT art. Initially, it felt more like a hobby due to the low prices, but as time progressed, big collectors like WhaleShark, Moderats, and TokenAngels joined the scene, which motivated me to create more and express myself through NFT art.
How do you enjoy the NFT Art you have collected? Do you have a way to display it for example at home?
Sturec: To be honest, I am not a huge NFT collector, but I have collected several artworks. In the future, when I have a larger home, I, of course, plan to display them on digital screens. But for now, I appreciate them online and share easily with others.
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?
Sturec: I think that, to reach its maximum potential, there is some room for improvement in terms of IP configurations, and platforms need to remain accessible and welcoming to artists from diverse backgrounds. We are still in the very early stages of this technology; therefore, some mentorship for newcomers would be great as well.
What is the most disturbing thing when it comes to NFTs and cryptoart in your opinion?
Sturec: Definitely, scams and unethical behaviors within the space pose significant concerns. Since the NFT space is still a relatively unregulated area, it’s unfortunately easier for manipulative practices to harm both artists and collectors. These problems cast a substantial negative impact on the perception of NFTs in the mainstream media.
Which tools do you use to create your art?
Sturec: I love using several tools, from Adobe Illustrator to Processing Software. Sometimes I mix and match my artworks with 3-4 different tools; I really enjoy adding generative art to illustrations. However, I can say that my main tool is definitely Adobe Illustrator.
What does a typical day for you look like, and what do you like to do when you’re not busy with NFT
Art?
Sturec: A typical day for me usually starts early. I have a dog, so my day begins with feeding her and taking her for a walk. I usually have a lot of coffee and spend some time checking the markets and reading the news until it’s noon. When I am not busy with NFTs, I’m actively engaged in market analysis since I’m an active trader. These past five years have been full-time work, so I can say that every day feels like a boring Tuesday. I often work late, sometimes just go out for coffee, or paint.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Sturec: This is going to be very dark, but since you asked: We all are born and die alone, so get used to loneliness in your life. Damn, this is too dark.
Is there something aside from art or NFTs you collect?
Sturec: I have collected seashells since I was a little child. The only reason I go into the sea is to dive and collect some seashells.
Where do you like to travel?
Sturec: I love traveling to the Far East. I love the culture, the nature—everything about it. It’s been a long time since my last visit, and I hope to go there again soon and, of course, get a new bamboo tattoo!
