Staying Creative with Jessica Ticchio

Jessica Ticchio is an Australian 3D artist and the art director of a successful creative production studio, Studio Messa. As an undergraduate studying Design, she drew inspiration from MC Escher and Dali and started creating ‘trippy’ black and white illustrations (mostly portraiture). A few years later, she was introduced to 3D art and began creating vibrantly colored digital sculptures and dreamscapes. Most recently she has been active in the NFT community and selling on Foundation.

Jessica’s contemporary creations bend reality and offer viewers an otherworldly, meditative escape. In a world that can feel heavy, she believes that her role as an artist is to evoke serenity and happiness. Jessica does this by transporting viewers of her art to alternate and expansive realities that feature enchanting villas, contemporary sculptures, and dreamy pinks, purples, and blues.

Jessica created her own escape during the Sydney lockdown in 2020: Her series called Into The Unknown. "Unable to leave the house, I found my mind constantly dreaming of expansive open spaces. Surreal worlds of exaggerated scale juxtaposed my confined reality - subconscious escapism.” During the pandemic, Jessica has stayed creative by focusing on the present, going on walks in nature, and appreciating the little things. As she said to us, “I’ve shifted my mindset to ‘Art as meditation, isolation as inspiration.’” She finds magic in the everyday world, and is motivated by knowing that she is making an impact on individuals’ well being. The light at the end of the staircase represents a glimpse of solace; the dark times will pass and everything will be okay." 

Limited access to live events and galleries have pushed Jessica outside of her comfort zone and exposed her to new opportunities and connections. Jessica has also benefited from the proliferation of NFTs. Her artwork will be presented in Satellite (3/10 – 4/3), Sydney’s first major international contemporary art exhibition utilizing and educating the public on NFT technology. Based on her contemporary art medium and style, it’s no surprise that Jessica is a part of the digital frontier as a fast-growing artist. We hope she inspires you to stay creative! 

Villa Verde, 2021

What do you think about the role of the artist in today’s world? Has it changed from your previous conception, or when you first wanted to be an artist?

When I first started creating art… honestly I just loved making trippy sh*t. For context, my early art practice was black and white hand illustration, focused on surrealism in portraiture and stretching reality with unreal distortion. As time passed and the world began feeling heavier and more overwhelming, I found my role as an artist shifting dramatically; my practice slowly transitioned into a search for peace, calm and clarity. I taught myself 3D and started creating immersive dreamscapes - my art went from being black and white to completely hypercolour! Today I think my role as an artist is to focus on creating works that evoke these feelings of positivity in both myself and in others - happiness is best when shared.

Do you find yourself relying more on digital mediums to stay connected with community?

In Sydney, Australia, we’re currently in Covid lockdown so I’m heavily relying on digital mediums to connect right now. In my own experience, I’ve found the limited physical freedom has genuinely encouraged me to break out of my comfort zone and really connect more with creatives in different parts of the world. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve met some incredible artists, so this is an open invitation to say hi and DM me (@jessicaticchio on insta) - let’s connect!

Given the uncertainty we face as a global society, how does one continue to approach the practice of creativity? Is it the same, or have you made adjustments?

My practice of creativity has become self care in a way. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with everything that’s going on right now with Covid and lockdowns, so I’ve shifted my mindset to ‘Art as meditation, isolation as inspiration’. The uncertainties of our world today have encouraged me to focus on being present, to breathe and to appreciate the natural beauty of our world. Don’t get me wrong, the big picture is still important and we need to be aware of the long term changes happening and needed in the world - but taking time everyday to appreciate the little things is a sentiment I hope to convey through my art.

Has Covid interrupted any of your planned projects for this year?

Many people who follow me for my art may not know that I’m also the Art Director of Studio Messa. We’re a Sydney based Creative Production studio, and a huge part of what we do is experiential design; immersive experiences for brands such as Nike, American Express, LVMH, Vogue and many others. Being events-based, Covid has pushed out many of our timelines, whilst in my art practice I’ve had a few exhibition cancellations too :(  But with silver linings in mind - a longer timeline just means more time to create, explore and experiment! Big things coming in 2022!

What keeps you feeling balanced and helps you endure?

Walking in nature every morning and being/working outside where I can is what keeps me feeling balanced and level headed - I’m a lizard girl, I need sun on my skin. I’m very focused right now on enjoying slow living [in lockdown] as a blessing rather than a curse. Knowing it isn’t going to be forever really eases my mind. Once I'm busy again, I'm sure a small part of me will be dreaming of the open schedule and minimal commitments I have right now, so I should try to appreciate it while I can!

As an artist, how do you think about continuing to make a difference? And what do you see the role of storytelling to be in this quest?

I think a lot about the universal search for peace and clarity - no one likes feeling stressed or anxious (well, no one I know anyway haha). The story I want to tell is one that focuses on the good and magical in our everyday world - amplifying natural beauties like the sun and sky through creating compositions that focus entirely around them. To me, making an impact through my art means reaching people individually through evoking feelings of peace and positivity. When someone messages me saying a piece of mine has relaxed them or calmed their anxiety, that’s when I feel I’m most making a difference :)

We’ve heard that the pandemic has negatively impacted cultural evolution and limited our access to creative outlets. We see this manifesting as an increase in people yearning to connect to culture. How can we rethink how artists and individuals in communities stay connected and play a more active role?

I feel the limited access to traditional creative outlets (i.e. live events, galleries) has just led to the development of more progressive and inclusive ways of joining the art community. As a digital artist with a relatively not huge social following, NFTs specifically have been a complete gamechanger for me. Being one of the first artists on Foundation changed my life as I was suddenly a part of this incredible, passionate community of artists and collectors who inspire me to keep creating everyday. I’ve been able to start selling my digital art (something extremely exciting and previously impossible!), whilst making so many new friends along the way. I encourage creatives to slide into eachothers DMs (haha), support the artists you love and collaborate where you can. We’re very lucky to be living in a time where distance is almost no boundary in connecting, so get involved and enjoy!

Desert Daze, 2021