If you love art, then you will know the name KORVIUM. Just like the British artist Banksy, KORVIUM has brought excitement to the world with art with his amazing creations.
It’s not often that you don’t see KORVIUM in the headlines. He recently hit the headlines after winning the EDU Art prize.
Just like Banksy, not much is known about KORVIUM. There is no knowledge about his childhood, where he is from, or how he got into art. It is like he just appeared on the art scene from nowhere. So, I was very excited when I got the chance to ask the mystery artist some questions, and this is what he had to say.
KORVIUM, when did you first become interested in art? Doodling as a kid, probably like most artists did. I always appreciated art in all forms. I even learned to carve wood, but my professional art career has been in digital art and selling physical paintings of my creations.
When you were growing up, did any artist inspire you? Mostly, Hans Memling who I think was a German guy, the Swiss artist Henry Fuseli and the Spaniard, Francisco Goya.
You say you like all forms of art, but if you could just choose one, what would it be? The medium I most love is paint on canvas, There’s just something spiritual about it.
A lot of young people who are taught art at school are put off, which is a shame. What advice would you give to teachers to keep children interested in art? Let them draw what they want. That’s how people get creative. An artist that’s shackled to a certain style won’t be imaginative. I don’t believe there is a right or wrong way to create art, it’s more about what your heart tells you to draw. Let the kids find their niche on their own. Those who are natural artists will shine, those who are not will find other interests.
You have become an award-winning artist winning the $100,000 EDU Art Prize. When you started off your career, did you ever imagine you would have so much success? No. I don’t think any artist imagines future success. You hope and pray, sure. I am just lucky my art appeals to enough people to make it my profession.
How would you describe your style of art, and to put you on the spot, how long does it take you to crease a piece of art which includes the Perilous Quest? Perilous Quest took me probably a week. But I will usually put a canvas away out of sight for a week or so, then look at it again and make some other tweaks. So the meat and bones of a work might be a week or two, then I will be making tweaks for a few months. If after that process I still don’t like what I see, I will paint over it and start again.
A lot of artists don’t tend to make a living from their work, but you have, what is the secret to your success? I don’t know to be honest. I just put myself out there and hoped for the best.
You keep your identity secret just like Banksy, that has brought a lot of mystery about you and your creations, why do you like to keep your identity secret? I’ve never chased fame. I just want a private life outside of being Korvium. I live a simple life and like the ability to travel incognito. That’s how you meet real people.
Is there a piece of art that you have sold that you wished you kept for yourself? Yes, funny you should mention that. There was the first vampire painting I made in paint. She was my muse. Luckily, I kept a record of who bought it so managed to track the person down 10 years later. I bought it back from him. He had it hung up above a fireplace in a restaurant in Romania. I gave him a good price.
What advice would you give to struggling artists who would like to achieve your success? Don’t throw all your eggs in one basket. Make art a hobby. If you trust in yourself and you are patient, you will get noticed sooner or later. Just never give up.
How would you like to be remembered? To be honest I’ve never put any thought into a legacy. I mostly live in the present. I just don’t think far ahead.
More details may be found on the artist’s website by visiting: www.korvium.com