We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Huntrezz Janos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Huntrezz below.

Hi Huntrezz, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am grateful to be working as an artist. It is a privilege to have the access to the computer technologies and to have the training that I have now. I also derive great joy from being able to express myself with art, but I am not satisfied with being solely an independent artist the way that I am now. I often find myself lacking the resources needed to carry out the concepts that I envision and without the support of other experts, leaving me to spend day after day working alone while those who are a part of larger teams seem to breeze through projects in relatively short periods. I also recognize though that my work is omnidirectional. I build my home, I write my thoughts, I build my car, I actualize my identity, I animate the life I live and I rely on myself to make ends meet- which they barely do if I am honest. And since I focus in so many directions I never get to focus on anything as much as I would like to, for as long as I would like to. I walk a balancing act and practice fasting as an independent artist. I just read a book on how that can be good for you though! I am somewhat the stereotypical starving artist, up to my ears in student debt, skipping meals, never buying anything anything I don’t absolutely need unless it’s for artmaking… If I’m being completely honest, I live in a shack. But somehow I have managed to travel the world sharing my art, I am struggling though, yeah. I keep applying to 9-5 jobs, But I guess nobody wants to hire someone like me! I have yet to get an interview! lol

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Both of my parents were artists in LA so I was making art since childhood. I Studied at CalArts in experimental animation, then At USC in technology, business, and design, and now I mostly make stuff utilizing 3d modeling. Virtual avatars, augmented reality filters, 3d prints, architectural models, custom automobile parts. video games, and animated media, are all in my wheelhouse. If it involves 3D graphics, I can do it, pretty much. It’s quite a versatile skillset. More recently I have been experimenting with new AI tools and incorporating them into my workflows too. It can really speed things up. I also fancy myself a writer of poetry and performer of live motion capture shows. As a transcorporealist I strive to communicate and illustrate the vast potentials in identity, technology, and culture. And as a fabricator and aspiring inventor I attempt to build a future that is more accessible, sustainable, inclusive, and sci-fi. The biggest projects I’m working on now are making myself a house, a vehicle, and a cartoon pilot, but all that’s on my own time and I often find myself making short form animated media on the side, for various art shows and to share online, or for some much needed funds. If you have a project that could use 3D skills in any capacity, hit me up!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve lived in my art studio, I’ve lived in my camper van, I’ve lived in a closet space… my life has definitely had some tough moments. I have been the target of hateful attacks, and I have had to defend myself physically. I for a time lived in Eastern Europe too, where I would get followed home by strangers and police cars alike, where I would get denied entry or services due to discrimination. Although I identify as a Black Trans woman, I have learned that I cannot always present as such, and for my own safety I have disguised myself and hidden away however I could. I guess what I’m getting at is that my resilience is in my day to day- that I haven’t given up. Being from Los Angeles, and being back here in my hometown even as the housing crisis escalates is a big win for me too. That I am working in the arts, being recognized by galleries and museums, I feel a sense of accomplishment, even if my bank statements don’t reflect that. I hope to be building a future where I will be able to uplift others like me, and together we will rise above these struggles!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Utopia! lol! JK nah, Utopia has been in reach for decades now, and its not up to me to get us there obvi. I strive instead to generate that kind of understanding though. that we could live in a more utopic reality if our collective humanity wasn’t so fragmented and fearful. Identity, technology, civilization, and even spirituality are interconnected concepts in my view- concepts that rapidly evolve and allow us to truly live and love, but also which can enable death and hate. I am unfortunately also familiar with those. My creative journey is a mission to share the joy that exploring the potentials of emerging tech through art can bring, how it can expand concepts like identity across virtual dimensions, transport us across our global village, and unlock ideas and feelings that transcend binaries and fears to achieve quantum and intersectional acceptances. I hope that my work can help make progress toward more sustainable, accessible, and thoughtful futures in general I guess.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.huntrezz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntrezz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntrezzBenjaminJanos
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huntrezz-janos-3107b1111/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hauntrezz

Image Credits
Transfer Gallery at Photofairs NYC, Vellum LA at SVStudios, Postmasters Gallery, Nina Koyfman.