GET TO KNOW MY DARKSIDE!

Guess what?! I had the absolute thrill of being interviewed by Darkside Books to celebrate the release of "Serpents and Saffrins"! It was awesome, and I was bursting to share it with everyone. There was just one tiny hiccup – the interview was originally published in Portuguese! While I loved seeing it in its original form, no one was able to read it, (Google Translate anyone?..lol) I knew my English-speaking friends would need a little help. So, drumroll please... here's the full interview, now beautifully translated into English! Dive in and I hope you enjoy it!

BETWEEN THE DIGITAL AND THE SYMBOLIC: A CHAT WITH VASSILIOS BAYIOKOS

Meet the illustrator of Serpentes & Serafins, the new novel by Enéias Tavares

Serpentes & Serafins is the first contemporary novel byEnéias Tavares( Parthenon Místico and Lição de Anatomia ), a work that mixes art and history, magic and religion, cinema and painting, fusing pop references with ancient and eternal symbols. One of the passengers on this journey is the New York artist Vassilios Bayiokos, guest illustrator of the project.

Vassilios Bayiokos is a New York-based artist, originally from Brooklyn, known for his work in art direction, graphic design and digital illustration. With years of experience, he has signed projects for advertising agencies, digital markets and studios, creating art inspired by much of pop culture media. Seeking inspiration in fantasy, science fiction and horror, he currently works with images inspired by angels, demons, fairies, and tarot arcana.

We interviewed the artist and brought the results of the conversation here to DarkBlog. In it, Bayiokos tells us about his career, his reflections on art and culture, as well as his experience collaborating with DarkSide® Books . Check it out:

DarkBlog: To begin, could you tell us a little about your background as an artist and your journey so far?

Vassilios Bayokos: The expression “full circle” comes to mind. Like most kids,  I have loved creating art inspired by comics, horror, fantasy, and science fiction for as long as I can remember. As I got older and got better, it became clear that this was what I wanted to do. I studied at art schools such as New York Technical College in Brooklyn, Birmingham Polytechnic of Design in England, and Pratt Institute in New York. Throughout that time, I remained a hardcore fan of these genres, especially DC Comics. However, different interests led me to the advertising design market, which seemed like the smarter choice given the competitiveness of the creative industry. Gotta pay the bills, right? That said, it was on this journey that I discovered digital art, especially retouching and compositing. As time went by, as I discovered more digital tools, my focus returned to my childhood loves. I feel naturally good about this change of direction. I enjoy it, and the growing interest in my work has been wonderful and that motivates me to continue moving forward on this path.

D: Could you share with us a little about your creative process?

VB: That’s a great question. I hate to be vague, but I approach my projects as problem solving. With my background in art direction and graphic design, I’m trained to use all the resources at my disposal to achieve the desired effects by any means possible, using tools like Photoshop, Procreate, and other digital products and different techniques. These include analog, digital, photography, hybrid compositing, and even experimentation with AI. On the other hand, working with so many different methods results in “happy accidents”, which often lead to exciting results. I hope that helps.

D: Serpents & Seraphim explores the timeless battle between good and evil, intertwining themes of art, science, faith and alchemy. How do you perceive these imaginary beings—angels and demons—and what meaning do they have as symbols in art?

VB: First of all, I can’t think of a better custodian for this project than Enéias Tavares. He’s creative and brilliant, and his previous work in the steampunk genre has been fantastic. I’m excited about any project he’s involved with. As for your question, at the risk of coming off trite, I see these entities in art as representations of the way we crystallize and define what we consider good or evil. This theme is recurrent throughout art history and will continue to be. However, as we explore these representations, we realize that the concepts of good and evil change over time and culture. This is why talking about angels and demons continues to be disturbing and thought-provoking. What is good? What is evil? Good and evil are not static, nor are black and white. The shades of gray on both sides often reveal flawed protagonists or even anti-heroes, which adds depth to so many creative works, as with Tavares’ novel.

D: The novel Serpentes & Serafins is also a story about travel and books, a true “roadmance”. Do you travel often? How does travel influence your artistic work? 

VB: My wife and I love to travel, and we have been fortunate enough to visit many incredible places around the world. Some of our favorites include Greece (Crete, Santorini, Anavriti), Scotland (Glasgow, Highlands), and Brazil (Fernando de Noronha). Our travels have profoundly impacted our lives, giving us shared and unforgettable experiences. For me, travel also serves as a powerful creative catalyst, and offers new perspectives that often influence my work. It’s a fantastic feeling.  It’s a feeling I wish for everyone to have when they travel.

D: Who would be your favorite authors and artists? Which ones would you recommend? 

VB: I hate this question (lol), because my answers are always changing and very fluid, depending on the moment. Today, I would name Anne Rice, Grant Morrison, Robert Kirkman and Terry Brooks as my favorite authors. As for visual artists, I would name Ralph McQuarrie, George Pratt, Simon Bisley, Alex Ross, Doug Chang, Dan Brereton and Edward Gorey.

D: Finally, how is it working with DarkSide® Books on this project? 

VB: It's been fantastic! I loved working with Enias, I loved the Serpentes & Serafins project and it's an honor for me to be part of this. Creative endeavors of any nature usually require a bit of trust on both sides and are often fraught with tension and uncertainty, especially when working with each other for the first time.  I haven't experienced any of that here, which demonstrates the professionalism of DarkSide® Books and their commitment to releasing the best product possible.

You can talk to me. You can set your secrets free, baby - Stevie Nicks

HERE I GO AGAIN!

Here I go again is right! Welcome to my newly updated website! It’s been a long time coming. Though my vocation can be classified in the graphics field, with a strong background in retouching and art direction, I felt this updated site should reflect the current bulk of my 'creative' endeavors, which are my digital illustrations. It took some time to contextualize how I wanted this site to be presented, and there is still some work and adjustments that need to be made. That said, I believe I've gotten it to a point where it makes sense and is ready to go live. 

Enough chatter. Don’t be afraid! Dive in and explore! Check out my featured projects, engage with my graphics work, browse my art station page which is updated regularly, keep up with my blog which will be posted weekly, and buy something from my store. Your support goes a long way and it makes me feel good about myself and makes me love you even more!

“Here I go again on my own, Going down the only road I've ever known” - Whitesnake