Interview With Nils Hansen
3 August 2022
Nils Hansen is a master craftsman in stone sculpture as well as a digital modeler and sculptor. He has worked for many different companies, one of them being Mercedes Benz.
Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your background?
My name is Nils Hansen and my studio is based in Berlin, Germany. I was born in Germany and originally learned to become a sculptor working with stone and clay. I started painting at a young age and intended to study in this field. Deciding to bring craftsmanship and art together, I became a stone sculptor. I achieved my masters in this field and spent two years in Tuscany in the marble paradise of Carrara.
For many years afterwards I traveled around the world, creating monumental sculptures for cities and communes.
In 2009, I received a scholarship to study in Berlin at the Babelsberg Film School to study digital film design with the emphasis on digital modeling. The discovery of modeling softwares like Zbrush and Maya opened up new horizons in my artistic production. Since then, I have worked for different companies – currently working in the Research and Development department of Mercedes Benz.
What influenced you to pursue a creative path? What have been your biggest challenges so far?
My parents have been my greatest influence and support in my artistic career. There was always a positive nurturing environment when I first started drawing at a young age. My mother sent me to an art teacher when I was twelve as she saw some potential in what I was doing and I am really grateful for this.
Generally speaking, as an artist, the path is long, which is definitely not a surprise. Especially as a sculptor, working the stone takes a great deal of time to create a sculpture and then sell it in a gallery. For many years, I carved and transported tombstones to cemeteries to make a living.
I think the main thing is to have a long term vision on what you want to create and want to be and not to lose it while being involved in a job that “just“ puts food on your plate.
How and when did you get involved with NFTs and the crypto art space?
I was privileged to join the crypto art space very early. I think I was artist number 175 or so on SuperRare in mid 2019. A friend mentioned this platform, SuperRare, and explained all this nerdy stuff like the blockchain, gas fees and NFTs. It was very hard to grasp at the beginning but I was lucky to be introduced to all of this. It was really an awakening and the implications it had for us creators was mind boggling.
What is your favorite NFT of all time, and by which artist?
This is a tough one…
There are some artists I really admire, Vini Naso´s works are amazing for example. Also Arc4G, the early works of Oxeegeno, Aeforia and Sarah Zucker with her very original approach are also inspiring. I also like the Botto Project with the visionary mastermind of Mario Klingemann.
Do you have any advice for artists joining the digital art sphere or the NFT space?
For sure, one has to have a lot of patience to go through this bear market. After I had my first piece minted on SuperRare, it took half a year for a collector to notice my work. 🙂
Stay focused on your artistic journey and don't measure your value in your social media presence or the numbers of sales. Always follow your passion in what you do.
