For the last 25 years, Adam Spiżak has worked with the likes of Disney, Cannes Film Festival, or Lil Nas X – just to name a few. Mastering his unique and twisted 3D-sculpting style out of his London-based studio, he’s scored one big project after another, making a name for himself in the entertainment industry.
Spiżak’s gripping art has always felt like a perfect match for our Limited Edition series. Now that he finally made his debut on our 3D-enhanced canvas, we got a chance to talk with Adam about his twisted artworks, biggest projects, and geeky habits.
Read carefully and maybe you’ll find a cute shiba inu inside, too!
What has your career path looked like so far?
Throughout my 24 years of work, I went through a number of different jobs, from a janitor to a design director, so this has definitely been a learning experience. As a designer, I had the opportunity to work in various roles across several design disciplines – my path has taken me from working as a print designer and web developer to the last 12 years in a position of UX design manager in corporate environments.
Parallel to that, I had been making 2D art and was slowly getting into 3D art some 8-9 years ago. As my skills got sharper, I felt I wanted to start doing commercial work and create art and fan art that would mix together different media. Around 3 years ago, I decided to go independent and set up my own art studio where I could work and collaborate with people on various projects. Right now my studio is this little dark room with bright screens and a dog bed for my shiba girl.
Speaking of collaborations, your portfolio is impressive! You’ve worked with some of the biggest and most renowned brands in the world. How did you make that happen?
In a way, very traditionally. For the most part, I didn’t make any plans, just wanted to create great art and inspiring visuals. So for a long time, I mostly focused on making things I enjoy and worked on art inspired by games or movies I wanted to see. The client work has been the outcome of brands and licensors liking my work and style.
I truly believe that’s the best way to grow your portfolio and get the clients you want to get: make quality art that feels passionate and lets people engage with it. This will bring the clients’ attention.
Can you tell us more about working for Lil Nas X?
I love making Zbrush sculptures and “breaking” them digitally by aging them and adding cracks. One of my colleagues works with Lil Nas X on his live shows and he reached out asking if I was interested in making a sculpture to be used as a stage prop for his GRAMMYs performance. This was kind of an intense project – I only had five days to produce it and add enough detail so that a 3 meters tall 3D-printed sculpture would look good enough to hold up on TV.
Which project has been the most exciting to work on?
I think I like my video games-inspired work the most, especially Mass Effect and Hades projects which are among my favorites. This kind of art combines my obsession with worldbuilding, with the game’s lore as main inspiration, and a traditional poster-style collage – but made entirely in 3D.
Outside of that, my most passionate project is definitely The Nameless, my own samurai series where I write original characters and stories myself.
Is there a moment or a project that you consider a turning point in your career?
I can’t pinpoint one stepping stone. It mostly feels like it’s been a slow and steady build-up over time.
What is your biggest source of inspiration?
I think the need to tell stories is what drives me to try new things. I just love interacting with new creative forms – be it games, movies, or artworks – and letting them all slowly cook in my brain like a stew, so it’s hard to say what’s that one thing that inspires me the most.
But I would probably say music. Even with art inspired by games or movies, it’s often the music that inspires the overall mood and helps me better understand the emotional intent behind my creations.
How long does it usually take you to finish a project?
It depends on the scale. Usually a project takes at least a week, with the average being something around 2 weeks. As the scope of work grows (or, in the case of client projects: a specific brief to follow), the time can go up, with some projects taking up to 4-6 weeks.
Do you consider yourself a geek?
Absolutely! Aren’t we all geeks?
I can geek out about so many things: from arts, crafts and how something is made, to music, memorable lyrics, and even great bacon! Getting obsessed with things we love is what life is all about.
Do you collect anything?
I love T-shirts, different styles and different prints. I have around 120 at the moment. The lack of free space is slowing down my collection. I also love video games and have a sizable collection, if that counts!
Can you tell us what you are most passionate about and why?
I love nuances. I believe they tell a story. I wouldn’t call it a passion, more of an obsession with nuances. I love finding subtle essences of things, from music to movies, and trying to understand the full meaning and context. Something that translates to most things I enjoy is the idea of how a detail adds to the whole picture. It’s definitely something that also drives my personal work.
Are there any artists that you follow?
Too many to list! My all-time favorite is Mr Waybe Barlowe, a surreal horror painter.
What are your next steps? Anything in the art world that seems exciting right now?
I really like the move to crypto art, I don’t know if we’re there yet to fully realize its potential.
Generally, I want to grow my solo career more, perhaps get more involved in making movies or video games. I’m also trying to move into motion storytelling with my animated shorts.
Instagram: @adam_spizak
Twitter: adamspizak
