Can you share a bit about the background and inception of SERIFA?

SERIFA is the name of our studio, which we founded at the beginning of 2021. We both come from the editorial field and have been designing book covers for many renowned publishers for over ten years. While we still create cover art, we’ve shifted our focus to our art, which we drive forward and publish daily on Instagram.

How did your respective artistic journeys lead you to collaborate and create SERIFA?

Christian co-founded a cover design agency with two partners in 2009. Nastassja joined a few years later. In 2021, we both decided to forge our path with a new studio to further develop our art.

What are the main influences and inspirations behind your work at SERIFA?

Our inspiration comes mainly from outside the art world, particularly aesthetic elements. Music, design/typography, and fashion influence us greatly. In the art world, we are inspired by artists who work freely and experimentally. Artists like Georg Baselitz, who integrates chaos and the unexpected into his creations, and figurative painters like Peter Doig, who create figurative art like we do, inspire us immensely.

How do you balance the intersection of art and design in your projects?

Perhaps you can see in our work that we come from a cover art background. We often play with typography in our stories, integrating it with our art. The transition is fluid, but unlike our client work, we can truly create what we want in our artistic endeavors. It doesn’t have to function perfectly. Recently, we designed a perfume using AI, which leaned more towards design. Overall, the key common denominator at SERIFA is establishing an evolving aesthetic that we love.

Can you describe your approach to integrating AI into your creative process?

We usually start by generating images. Sometimes we receive images from photographers for specific projects. We then edit these in Photoshop, with the degree of editing varying depending on the subject. Our long experience in the graphic field is very helpful here. There’s no single method; it’s more about the feel and decisions in selection that define our aesthetic.

What is the significance of the phrase “Defining New Aesthetics” to your work?

We sought a DNA that motivates us to push the boundaries of our visual imagination. From the initials DNA, “Defining New Aesthetics” emerged, perfectly describing our strive for a challenging aesthetic. It’s a commitment to not remain stagnant.

How do you decide on the themes and subjects for your daily art series on Instagram?

It depends on our mood and current inspirations. Sometimes it’s a song, other times something from a magazine.

What challenges have you encountered while pioneering new forms of visual expression, and how have you overcome them?

As graphic designers, we often found that accidents leading to unexpected beauty. This unpredictability is something we’ve rediscovered with AI tools. Learning these tools and keeping up with their rapid development was a major challenge. But by deeply engaging with this technology, we’ve found ways to use this chaos and unpredictability as elements in our art. The beauty lies in the refreshing spirit of something unseen before, not in perfection.

Can you tell us about some of your favorite book cover designs and the creative process behind them?

We’ve designed hundreds of published books and thousands of drafts. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but three that come to mind are “Vladimir” by Julia May Jonas, “Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth” by Wole Soyinka, and “The Beautiful Struggle” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Designing covers involves balancing typography and image, with legible text becoming more crucial as titles need to work as online icons.

How do you see the role of AI evolving in the future of art and design?

We believe AI will become as integral as photography has in the art world. New technologies often face skepticism. Is screen printing art? Is photography art? In our view, anything declared as art by the creator is art. Whether others see it the same way shouldn’t matter.

Could you share a typical day at SERIFA and how you approach your projects?

We start working fairly late, around 11 AM (though we hope to start earlier soon) 😉 We begin by handling tasks and responding to DMs and comments. Our “Art Every Day” series, which takes a lot of time, often occupies half the day. We work longer than 6 PM since we start late. Being self-employed, we manage our time flexibly. Our main task is making many decisions daily, which can be exhausting but ultimately advances us.

What do you hope viewers take away from your artwork and design projects?

We hope to inspire people with our work, challenge visual habits, and encourage them to try new things and take new paths without being hindered by perfectionism.

Are there any upcoming projects or exhibitions that you are particularly excited about?

Yes, next week our first edition is being released: 30 works plus 3 artist proofs, highly limited and printed in gallery quality at the world’s best lab. We’re also excited about numerous collaborations with musicians and high-fashion projects.

What advice would you give to emerging artists and designers who are just starting their journey?

Be bold in showing your process, including its highs and lows, online. Don’t spend two years perfecting one piece; create 200 pieces that gradually develop.