Artist Interview: Riniifish

Riniifish creates bugs – her work depicts fantastical versions of otherworldly life and parallel universes with extraterrestrial civilizations through which the artist explores themes of life and death, emotional struggles and burnout as well as everyday life.

She has worked with fashion brands including Pull&Bear, Adriana Hot Couture, and JIU JIE. Her series with tiny, translucent creatures has been exhibited in Berlin, Tokyo, New York City, Madrid, Vienna, LA, and Dubai.

We asked Riniifish about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

*Digital Art by Riniifish: Emotional Crank*

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

Hi I am Riniifish, I work on bugs basically.

I was a designer for what seems like ages before I became an independent artist.

Finally in 2020, I started my exploration of digital art and started collaborating with different brands, musicians, magazines and before I knew it was exhibiting all over the world. 2023 was a very special year for me, I had my very first solo exhibition at N51 in Milan, quit my job and started to be active in the field of digital art as an independent artist.

*Digital Art by Riniifish: Onomatopoeia*

Tell us about your bugs! How has been the journey to finding your art style?

Bugs are a part of me that heals me. Before I was creating "girls" and "fishman” in a black and white world which one day, unexpectedly, was invaded by these psychedelic bugs who turned my art world into a bright and colorful one. They are my friends, and they are the medium to tell my inner story and socialize with me.

“As an introvert with many emotions, dreams, and stories constantly spinning in her mind, creating art is the way through which she speaks most freely and eloquently.”

What does your creative process look like? How do you approach brainstorming and conceptualizing ideas?

I don't think I have a systematic creative process because when I feel like I've caught an IDEA, the best way to record it is to document it, it's like a dream, it's easy to forget, so I have a NOTEBOOK called BUG IDEAS.

*Digital Art by Riniifish: Frozen Friends*

Can you tell us about some of your favorite pieces or a past or upcoming project? What makes them special to you?

I love working with fashion brands and musicians, most of the time they give me enough freedom and inspiration. I'm not averse to commercial collaborations, especially when I get to see tiny bugs turn into products that seem to grow up. Last year I collaborated with a musician, Simo Cell, on an album and peripherals. He had a really interesting idea and made some vintage game cartridges, and I was very happy to see that many of his fans liked it.

Can you tell us about your collaborations with fashion brands? How do you approach working with clients to bring a shared vision to life?

Having worked with the Italian independent designer brand Adriana Hot Couture, I think that as an artist, sometimes part of the workflow is a bit similar to that of a designer, in terms of pre communication, and understanding of the brand. Usually, the brand will want the artist to add more magic to the brand, which is something I need to think about and explore. It's not a limitation for me, I like this challenge very much.

*Digital Art by Riniifish: Eyeball Parade*

What is a profound childhood memory?

I used to live in the countryside with my grandmother, and although I was very young then, now even after I grew up I can still vividly dream of the light, the houses, and the banana trees in the woods that used to be there... These are my first memories, which I have retained until now. Although my parents' relationship didn't leave a particularly good impression on me, the first memories are golden and can wrap around the not-so-good parts of my childhood.

What would we most probably find you doing if not creating art?

Take care of Capybaras.