Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilgar Tali.
Hi Ilgar, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Ever since I was a child growing up in Baku, Azerbaijan, I’ve always been interested in art and design. By the age of five, I was drawing and painting wherever I went. This passion led me to pursue a career in graphic design. Wanting to grow my career, I moved to Missouri in 2014 to learn English. This change of scenery inspired me to take a break from my career in graphic design and begin painting again. I began posting my new paintings on Instagram and began to think about how I could share my art in a way that accurately represented its size and proportions. I started to explore Photoshopping my art into images of interiors but was annoyed at how time consuming the process was.
In 2016 I moved to New York City, taking on various graphic design jobs while I participated in a few group art shows. These art fairs showed me the challenges that artists face in marketing and selling their work. Many of them spent more time trying to find effective ways to sell their art, rather than spending time creating. This inspired me to start my own contemporary art agency, Komtempo, which represented emerging local artists. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I had to shut down Kontempo but my desire to help emerging artists has survived.
Studies have shown that creating realistic visualizations to display art can increase the likelihood of a sale. With this in mind, I founded Smartist in early 2020, and assembled a remote team of engineers to research, develop and design the app. We launched the first version on April 7 2021. While it hasn’t been entirely easy launching a tech product, I’m proud of the difference that Smartist has made in the careers of thousands of artists by saving them time and helping them market their work more efficiently.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life often has its ups and downs, but as an immigrant there were unique challenges that can be even greater than most. Moving to a new country with no connections, resources or support can be overwhelming. It makes it harder to get people to believe in your vision, especially when you’re just starting out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Smartist?
Smartist is an app that transforms your artwork by adding it into stunning, lifelike imagery – it’s never been easier to showcase your talent. With over 400,000 downloads in 175 countries and thousands of glowing reviews, it’s clear that our users agree that Smartist is the premier art visualization app. Our users report increased sales, stronger connections with potential buyers and strong art portfolios & websites. We prioritize listening to our community of users, their feedback and suggestions make Smartist better.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
As anyone who has tried to find a mentor knows, it can be tough to identify what kind of person can help guide your career. I’ve found that books, articles and online courses are some of the most reliable sources of knowledge and experiences. With these resources at my fingertips, I can learn from experts in my field, gain valuable insight and grow my network. Don’t get me wrong – having a mentor can be incredibly beneficial, but sometimes the best resources are those that are right in front of you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smartist.app
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartistapp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartistapp
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/smartist_app
