Artist Kobransky: "How to turn your passion into a successful profession as an artist"

In his own career, the artist progressed quite quickly. At the same time, his path was by no means preordained. "I actually wanted to become a musician. The desire to compose film music fulfilled me a lot." Then the visual arts came along. Against all well-intentioned advice to do "something sensible" instead of art, Kobransky went his own way, undeterred. And it led him single-mindedly to art lovers all over the world. Kobransky has sold his works in Hong Kong, Monaco, Berlin, London, and New York. Today, his buyers include numerous celebrities. His way was not always easy, but he found out how the art world works. Today, he shares his experiences and contacts with ambitious young artists.

From Berlin out into the world

"I organized my first exhibition in Berlin and was able to sell some works directly," reports the Wolfsburg native. It quickly became clear to him that, on the one hand, it was his paintings that appealed to the public, but on the other hand, it was also his character and his determination. Despite his introverted nature, he nonetheless acquired skills and strategies for approaching people.

"When I wasn't in the studio, I spent my time making important networks. I began to analyze the market as much as my works, and from that, I developed a strategy to generate visibility, notoriety, and popularity."

‍

Making a name for himself as an artist

With his motifs, monochrome portraits of prominent personalities against a golden background, Kobransky has clearly struck a chord with his audience. The images are decorative but also convey a clear message. With his distinctive style, he reaches his target group and at the same time has found his niche in the industry. He knows what appeals to the viewers of his works, depth, and emotionality.

But he also knows that an artist must also sell himself as a brand. The distinctiveness of the person is just as much a part of this as the uniqueness of the images. Kobransky has adopted an artist's name, calling himself Kobransky. The name is derived from the first syllables of his name and the English word for sky. He sets a sign with it. As an artist, he is a different person than the Kolja next door.

Successful artists are always good businessmen

Artists like to give themselves the image of the cranky loner who spends all his time creating works of art and doesn't care about marketing them. That's a big mistake, Kobransky explains. A work of art may be the best thing in the world, but if it is not put out into the world, it remains invisible like its creator and the artist – hungry.

Plannable, regular income

Kobransky realized what was important early in his creative career. He gained initial visibility via social media, followed by exhibitions – first in his own environment, then in an ever-expanding radius of action. He made sure he had the right contacts in the art market, with buyers and with collectors. A large part of his work lies in building as well as maintaining these networks, and today he can concentrate almost exclusively on painting because he has created a system for himself that allows automated selling.

"This is also what I pass on to other artists who want to establish themselves in the market. Most of them have the desire to one day be able to make a living from their art. But that only works if you know the art industry intimately. Unfortunately, no one shows you how this industry works behind the scenes. If you don't have any contacts, you have a very hard time with the amount of really good artists striving to get to the top!"

With his own experience, Kobransky is now helping up-and-coming artists onto the stage of the art world. He shows how proper marketing works, where and how to generate customers, and also provides access to his own network of press contacts, companies, and galleries. Because: "Art is a demanding occupation. Especially in times like these, it deserves more attention. The work of freelance artists must be fairly remunerated. Only those who can live in financial and material security have the muse to fully express themselves as artists.”