Hi, I'm Nicole Ruggiero! (^０^)ノ I'm a 3D artist—specifically a net artist, which means I make 3D animations, stills, and augmented and virtual reality experiences that have to do with the internet. There are a few ways people define net art, but I think of it as art that either describes the internet or is mainly displayed online.A lot of people think of the internet as a white, male domain, but the net art community is actually really diverse. There are tons of queer, female, and POC creators putting all sorts of perspectives online. But for some reason, people still tend to be dismissive of work that is explicitly feminine, labeling it girly, or fluffy, or sexy, when it's more complex and meaningful than that.
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I'm teaming up with VICE to introduce you to some of my favorite female-identifying 3D net artists to show off their amazing work. I collaborate with these are people and they inspire me. I hope you like it! (⌒‿⌒) ☆
Does this count as a selfie?
Ghanaian artist Janice Prempeh, aka @opalslutuniverse, is my first pick because her work celebrates the female form and reminds me of art by other women I respect. She exposes the body's natural and authentic qualities, but filters beauty and sexuality through a positive, fun lens. People tend to think her work is either really empowering or sexed-up for the male gaze, but it's really about Janice celebrating her own body. Since a lot of it is CG self-portraiture, I asked her to share a flesh-and-blood selfie, too.I also asked Janice to share a few examples of her work from Instagram and fill out a questionnaire to help you get to know her better. Keep scrolling to get to all that. And before you go, make sure to snag the @opalslutuniverse desktop and mobile wallpapers Janice designed exclusively for VICE!You can download them for free HERE.
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