In this week’s Artist Spotlight (#8) conversation, Karmilla Shelly shares her perspective on navigating the NFT space as a concept driven artist. Rather than treating NFTs as a purely transactional marketplace, she emphasizes context, curation, and artistic dialogue. 

In a digital landscape often defined by speed and speculation, Karmilla’s approach to NFTs isn’t about volume or visibility; it’s about context. In this spotlight, we explore how she navigates, why narrative framing matters to her practice, and what it means to create work that exists in dialogue rather than just on-chain.

SI:
What is your name, and do you go by an artist handle?

KS:
My name is Karmilla Shelly ♥️

SI:

When did you first get into art?

KS:

I've always created in some way, drawing, imagining, building small visual worlds, long before I understood what it meant to be an artist. Even though I chose to study at a scientific high school, art was never separate from me; it was the parallel current that ran beneath everything else. Science shaped my curiosity about structure and invisible forces, something that still influences my conceptual approach today.

I later studied set design and costume design at the Academy of Fine Arts, where I developed a deep understanding of space, narrative, and the body within constructed realities. I learned how environments communicate, how fabric conveys psychology, and how light can transform a story.

Photography became my most intimate language. When words seemed fragile, images spoke. Art wasn't something I decided to pursue, it was something I realized I couldn't live without. Over time, it transformed from a passion to an identity

SI:

WOW! That is really deep. It seems like your brain functions in such an artistic sense. I believe even tech and science really fosters a level of creativity and artistic vision. It is so beautiful how it came together.  

What was the catalyst or moment that pushed you to take it seriously?

KS:

There was a moment in my life when emotions became too intense to be experienced privately. I've always felt the need to express my emotions, share them, you know and communicate them. I started talking at just 6 months old, a real chatterbox . So instead of keeping them inside, I transformed them; with extreme generosity, I tried to share them. That was the change: when art stopped being aesthetic exploration and became survival, alchemy, necessity.

SI:

Talking at 6 months old, you are a rare breed; and to find a way to communicate what is happening inside you (meaning your viewpoints), can be very difficult for some, especially creatives since we have a very interesting view of the world around us. I am glad that you figured it out. So what themes or ideas tend to emerge most in your work?

KS:

Light and darkness. Presence and absence. The body as matter and memory.

I'm drawn to liminal states: the space between life and death, love and loss, identity and dissolution. I often explore unstable realities, quantum identities, and the idea that we exist simultaneously on multiple emotional timelines. My ideas always come from ongoing research. I love reading; the ancestral desire for growth and evolution is of fundamental importance to me.

SI:

You sound a lot like me. Always researching, always learning and putting it on display with what you do. Interesting ideas and thought processes for the human experience.  How would you define your artistic style (in your own words)?

KS:

Futuristic melancholy, visionary art mixed with philosophical concepts, an intimate vision of emotions.

There's always a tension between fragility and cosmic scale. I combine physical bodies with abstract elements, mathematics, shadow, and silence. It's both personal and metaphysical.

SI:

I am seriously blown away by everything you are telling me right now. My mind is moving a million miles an hour right now; but I want to shift gears right now. I want to know how you discovered NFTs and what inspired you to get involved in this field?

KS:

I discovered NFTs at a time of digital expansion, when artists were asserting their autonomy. What intrigued me wasn't just the technology, but the idea of ​​permanence in the intangible.

As someone who works with digital identity, transformation, and manipulation, blockchain proved conceptually aligned with my practice. It became another dimension, intimate at times, whimsical, and free. 🖤✨

SI:

Which platforms do you primarily use to sell your work, and why?

KS:

I prefer curated, concept-based platforms rather than purely transactional ones. Spaces where narrative and artistic identity matter.

For me, context is everything. I don't just want to "coin," I want the work to exist in a dialogue.

SI:

Yeah that is so cool. I think a lot of these platforms with creator coins and content coins are really watering down the true NFT platforms that promote art. But even on the end of the artist, I think there are lots of people who slap something together with no story or meaning, it is just what is trending and even though they can do it, I understand that you want to connect with and create art with deeper meaning. 

What's the most important lesson you've learned so far as an artist?

KS:

That honesty and being truly yourself isn't weakness, but architecture and structure.

The more specific, true, and honest you are, the more the work becomes pure communication and sharing, without ego, without narcissism, but simply seeking continuous metamorphoses of fears and the boundaries that repress beauty.

SI:

What advice would you give to artists who are curious about NFTs but hesitant to jump in?

KS:

Don’t enter for hype. Enter if the medium aligns with your vision.

Study the ecosystem. Understand community. Protect your voice.

NFTs are not a shortcut, they are simply another medium. Treat them like one.

SI:

Just for fun! What kind of music do you listen to? (pick one genre) And is it the same genre while you are creating?

KS:

Dark / EBM / Industrial / Metal / Electro Goth.

I'm drawn to dark and atmospheric soundscapes: cinematic, almost shapeless, dreamlike, and enigmatic. The textures of this musical genre resemble fog made of sound. I love photographing haze and sculpting light, and these frequencies internally create the same kind of atmosphere I try to construct visually. There's an indescribable allure to it: something suspended, magnetic, slightly otherworldly.

And yes, it's the same genre when I create. I need music that dissolves the space around me. Sometimes the lyrics resonate deeply, almost mirroring fragments of my inner world. More than anything, I'm drawn to the frequency itself: it gives me a sense of expansion, as if both my inner and outer spaces extend beyond visible boundaries.

Karmilla reminds us that intention still matters even in ecosystems built on immediacy. She aims to contribute to a frontier that is still untamed. As Web3 continues to redefine artistic infrastructure, voices like hers will make sure that narrative and identity remain in the forefront of the conversation. 

Want to interact with more of her work check out Karmilla’s site here

Follow her on Farcaster
Find here art here

Enjoyed this post?

You can subscribe, buy this post, support my creator coin, or grab me a matcha here.

If you’re an onchain artist (or just an artist) and would like to be featured in a future Artist Spotlight, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out to me on Farcaster and let’s share your story. Much Love

Serenus

In this week’s Artist Spotlight (#8) conversation, Karmilla Shelly shares her perspective on navigating the NFT space as a concept driven artist. Rather than treating NFTs as a purely transactional marketplace, she emphasizes context, curation, and artistic dialogue. 

In a digital landscape often defined by speed and speculation, Karmilla’s approach to NFTs isn’t about volume or visibility; it’s about context. In this spotlight, we explore how she navigates, why narrative framing matters to her practice, and what it means to create work that exists in dialogue rather than just on-chain.

SI:
What is your name, and do you go by an artist handle?

KS:
My name is Karmilla Shelly ♥️

SI:

When did you first get into art?

KS:

I've always created in some way, drawing, imagining, building small visual worlds, long before I understood what it meant to be an artist. Even though I chose to study at a scientific high school, art was never separate from me; it was the parallel current that ran beneath everything else. Science shaped my curiosity about structure and invisible forces, something that still influences my conceptual approach today.

I later studied set design and costume design at the Academy of Fine Arts, where I developed a deep understanding of space, narrative, and the body within constructed realities. I learned how environments communicate, how fabric conveys psychology, and how light can transform a story.

Photography became my most intimate language. When words seemed fragile, images spoke. Art wasn't something I decided to pursue, it was something I realized I couldn't live without. Over time, it transformed from a passion to an identity

SI:

WOW! That is really deep. It seems like your brain functions in such an artistic sense. I believe even tech and science really fosters a level of creativity and artistic vision. It is so beautiful how it came together.  

What was the catalyst or moment that pushed you to take it seriously?

KS:

There was a moment in my life when emotions became too intense to be experienced privately. I've always felt the need to express my emotions, share them, you know and communicate them. I started talking at just 6 months old, a real chatterbox . So instead of keeping them inside, I transformed them; with extreme generosity, I tried to share them. That was the change: when art stopped being aesthetic exploration and became survival, alchemy, necessity.

SI:

Talking at 6 months old, you are a rare breed; and to find a way to communicate what is happening inside you (meaning your viewpoints), can be very difficult for some, especially creatives since we have a very interesting view of the world around us. I am glad that you figured it out. So what themes or ideas tend to emerge most in your work?

KS:

Light and darkness. Presence and absence. The body as matter and memory.

I'm drawn to liminal states: the space between life and death, love and loss, identity and dissolution. I often explore unstable realities, quantum identities, and the idea that we exist simultaneously on multiple emotional timelines. My ideas always come from ongoing research. I love reading; the ancestral desire for growth and evolution is of fundamental importance to me.

SI:

You sound a lot like me. Always researching, always learning and putting it on display with what you do. Interesting ideas and thought processes for the human experience.  How would you define your artistic style (in your own words)?

KS:

Futuristic melancholy, visionary art mixed with philosophical concepts, an intimate vision of emotions.

There's always a tension between fragility and cosmic scale. I combine physical bodies with abstract elements, mathematics, shadow, and silence. It's both personal and metaphysical.

SI:

I am seriously blown away by everything you are telling me right now. My mind is moving a million miles an hour right now; but I want to shift gears right now. I want to know how you discovered NFTs and what inspired you to get involved in this field?

KS:

I discovered NFTs at a time of digital expansion, when artists were asserting their autonomy. What intrigued me wasn't just the technology, but the idea of ​​permanence in the intangible.

As someone who works with digital identity, transformation, and manipulation, blockchain proved conceptually aligned with my practice. It became another dimension, intimate at times, whimsical, and free. 🖤✨

SI:

Which platforms do you primarily use to sell your work, and why?

KS:

I prefer curated, concept-based platforms rather than purely transactional ones. Spaces where narrative and artistic identity matter.

For me, context is everything. I don't just want to "coin," I want the work to exist in a dialogue.

SI:

Yeah that is so cool. I think a lot of these platforms with creator coins and content coins are really watering down the true NFT platforms that promote art. But even on the end of the artist, I think there are lots of people who slap something together with no story or meaning, it is just what is trending and even though they can do it, I understand that you want to connect with and create art with deeper meaning. 

What's the most important lesson you've learned so far as an artist?

KS:

That honesty and being truly yourself isn't weakness, but architecture and structure.

The more specific, true, and honest you are, the more the work becomes pure communication and sharing, without ego, without narcissism, but simply seeking continuous metamorphoses of fears and the boundaries that repress beauty.

SI:

What advice would you give to artists who are curious about NFTs but hesitant to jump in?

KS:

Don’t enter for hype. Enter if the medium aligns with your vision.

Study the ecosystem. Understand community. Protect your voice.

NFTs are not a shortcut, they are simply another medium. Treat them like one.

SI:

Just for fun! What kind of music do you listen to? (pick one genre) And is it the same genre while you are creating?

KS:

Dark / EBM / Industrial / Metal / Electro Goth.

I'm drawn to dark and atmospheric soundscapes: cinematic, almost shapeless, dreamlike, and enigmatic. The textures of this musical genre resemble fog made of sound. I love photographing haze and sculpting light, and these frequencies internally create the same kind of atmosphere I try to construct visually. There's an indescribable allure to it: something suspended, magnetic, slightly otherworldly.

And yes, it's the same genre when I create. I need music that dissolves the space around me. Sometimes the lyrics resonate deeply, almost mirroring fragments of my inner world. More than anything, I'm drawn to the frequency itself: it gives me a sense of expansion, as if both my inner and outer spaces extend beyond visible boundaries.

Karmilla reminds us that intention still matters even in ecosystems built on immediacy. She aims to contribute to a frontier that is still untamed. As Web3 continues to redefine artistic infrastructure, voices like hers will make sure that narrative and identity remain in the forefront of the conversation. 

Want to interact with more of her work check out Karmilla’s site here

Follow her on Farcaster
Find here art here

Enjoyed this post?

You can subscribe, buy this post, support my creator coin, or grab me a matcha here.

If you’re an onchain artist (or just an artist) and would like to be featured in a future Artist Spotlight, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out to me on Farcaster and let’s share your story. Much Love

Serenus