cover artwork for SVBKVLT x CRACK magazine

WJX (Wang Jingxin) is an artist who words specifically in 3D rendering and design, most commonly for album art, who describes their art style as ‘Meta-Real, more real than the real world’. With the rise of digital presences in our post-pandemic world, most notably with the origin of the Facebook ‘Meta-Verse’, where we won’t be limited to the absence of our physical entities on social media, WJX explores these ideas with their hyper-surreal pieces.

Their works combine inspirations from nature and the physical human form with concepts of a technological future, such as hybrid creatures, apocalyptic prophecies and the possible futures for our world, all using 3D rendering tools and photography that question our future ahead with the rise of digital opportunities.

What drew you to digital art in the first place? What inspired you to take this artistic avenue?

I studied graphic design (BA in Art) at University, my original intention was to simply study design. During my studies however, I pivoted a little and started to teach myself 3D techniques. This eventually grew into full blown 3D as I found it interesting. A lot of the early inspiration came from the post-internet era.

What programmes and processes do you use to create your work?

I primarily use the 3D software Blender because it is an open source software (accesible) and free. It does almost everything. Nowaday I often use the Unreal Engine as well. It's a game engine, so for things like animation or interactive it's pipeline is far more time efficient and inspired. My workflow always involved multiple softwares sometimes it can be quite complicated.

What messages lie behind your work- is there anything you want to tell your audience to help contextualise your pieces?

I always try to make visuals that please me, and I find as a result often people are somehow entertained by them too. I believe in the collective unconscious and I want to present ideas that endure, omnipresent qualities if you will. Often I try to avoid current trends or aeshetics so they're not linked to any partiuclar era.

What do you think about the introduction of Facebook’s metaverse? Do you think it provides further avenues for digital progression?

I find Meta's (Facebook's) metaverse thing a little terrifying to be honest. As one of the world's largest monopolies, it has essentially established the rules for our social media (which is already a big layer of our reality sadly), and now it is trying to establish rules that may well translate to all aspects of our lives. By providing us with 'tittytainment', it could become a new form of tyranny on world. Having said that, the concept of the 'metaverse' is clearly the future. It's currently a race as I see it. If it's not Facebook it will be another big entitiy such as Tencent (腾讯) in China. Perhaps it's wise to be more careful and selective with what we do online. The more versions of the metaverse from different providers, the better I say.

If you could design album art for any musician, who would you choose and why?

Maybe a Russian folk music compilation, haha. I like surprises.

Where do you think our world is headed? Do you think technology is doomed to dominate our existence?

Hmm, I dont know, I think it’s too big of a question so it's hard to say. I think technology is killing people’s naivety and innocence, we need more kindness.

I see your account was deactivated recently- where do you revert to post your work in the absence of social media? Do you think social media is a critical tool for all creatives or can we exist without it?

After my instagram was deactivated I built my own website before it was too late. It was a new experience for me. I think it’s hard for developing artists to survive without social media, but we should keep looking for other possibilities. Instagram (or anything we currently have) is far from the ideal.

album cover of Tayutau Remixes by prettybwoy

Where do you think the future of art is headed?

Any work made by human or cyborg, rather than a fully automated or self-executing process, will be regarded as art.

What is next for you in your artistic journey?

I have recently become more insterested in ethics and morality, especially human-animal ethics. I would love to do some personal work about the topic, so maybe watch this space? And of course I really enjoy the visual side of music (like a lot). My continual work and collaboration with musical artists alike inspires me alot.