Q&A with artist Tiffany Anna

Tiffany Anna, who’s work has already captured the attention of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s sister Randi Zuckerberg, is presenting her first exhibition in London this September. In the form of a virtual reality metaverse (with a collection of over 125 NFT artworks), as well as 40 large-scale physical paintings and prints, Tiffany’s show TA X LDN will begin tomorrow (September 10).

We chat to Tiffany ahead of the launch of her new exhibition about the inspiration for starting in the art industry, the meaning of her work, and what to expect for her upcoming exhibition…

Can you tell us about yourself?

My name is Tiffany Anna Matthews and I am an artist that started painting during the first lockdown. I love using colour and anything bright and bold. The more crazy the pigment the better for me! I also love animals which is why I paint them.

You started during the pandemic. A lot of people took up art as a therapeutic escape at this time, what sparked the interest for you?

During the first pandemic I moved back home to live with my parents. My mum is an artist, so I have always watched her and wanted to give it a go, but to be honest never really had the time or patience. I was a photographer before the pandemic and obviously during that time photography came to a halt so I borrowed my mums brushes and well… I haven’t put them down since. Sorry mum!

Can you talk about your very first piece of art?

My very first piece of art was a bumble bee, inspired by one a picture I found online. I love bees and insects and just thought it was a fun thing to paint. It really wasn’t that great but it was so much fun!I then tried a beetle which never saw the light of day, I saw it in my photo library the other day and couldn’t stop laughing!

Many of your art work features animal motifs, is there a reason behind this?

I love animals. I tried painting a person, and wasn’t quite ready… She was great but I have another idea completely for that! I also paint abstract space pieces which take you to a whole other universe… Literally!

How did you transition from being a physical artist to going into the NFT industry?

I was approached by a local person who has a huge interest in the NFT world and we talked about a collaboration with my art and his knowledge. It took me a while to understand the idea but I thoughtwhy not and it has been crazy mad! Our initial idea was to sell the NFT with the original as a gift, which we did on our first two drops however the NFT market, in my opinion, is still pretty new, and not really a place for original artwork, and so we have split this up for the moment and we now offer separate NFT’s and original pieces.

You’ve captured the interest of Mark Zuckerberg’s sister, Randi. Can you tell us more about this?

This was crazy! Another reason I feel that the NFT world is super exciting. It’s currently such a niche community and everyone really gets to know everyone else. There is also a HUGE movement pioneered by Randi to do with women in the NFT space! I think when I posted my Elton Monkey, she clearly just fell in love with it and messaged me privately saying ‘I need this Monkey, how do I get him’ and that was that! I couldn’t quite believe it!!

Your first exhibition is coming up this September (congratulations!). What can we expect from this?

Thank you, I am super nervous but obviously excited too! Oh so much! We have my crazy creatures which are even more colourful, we have some Cosmos pieces which are UV sensitive… yes they glow in the dark JUST LIKE THE COSMOS! And we have my Metaverse where you can travel into another dimension and view my NFT’s… so much is happening and I just hope I can pull it off!

Do you have any upcoming plans or projects after the exhibition?

Yes! I want to paint more and I have so many other crazy ideas! I would love to pop up all over the world and show people my art.

Will you be continuing with mixed media or is there any other angle you want to take in the future with your work?

I love mixed media but I may experiment with other things too. Cool epic frames made of neon perspex and 3D prints. I think art should be something you look at and smile!