Quatiica

Today we're talking to Tomás Correia, the founder of Quatiica. He's passionate about 3D and everything that goes with it. I'm sure you've seen his creations on our IG, but today we're going to find out a little more about him, his story and the early days of his brand. I hope you like it!

Who is Tomás Correia? Where are you from?

I was born in Coimbra and grew up in Viseu, Carregal do Sal. I studied art during high school and spent 2 years studying fine arts and multimedia at university, but ended up leaving in my third year in order to take advantage of the opportunities that were emerging at the time. I currently work as a freelance in the 3D art/design area.

When and how did this passion for 3D, a very specific area that seems difficult to explore, come about?

I've always had a keen interest in character design in some video games and films. My biggest dream was and is to create a character for one of these areas, so I decided to start learning how to use 3D software on my own. This allowed me not only to learn how to create characters but also to learn and experiment with product design, environments, and all the that can be done in 3D.

In the middle of all this, where does Quatiica come from?

Quatiica was the name I gave to my personal brand, which was born from the designs I was creating at the time. I used very soft and fluid shapes that in a way resembled something liquid or aquatic, and that’s where the name came from.

Can you walk us through the whole process of creating one of your pieces, from the initial idea to the final result?

In all my works, I start by trying to find the concept or general idea of the piece, and once I find it, I try to bring it to reality as quickly as possible - whether by making notes on paper, gathering reference images, or even creating a playlist of music that inspired me. When I reach the execution stage, my initial idea often changes completely, and most of the time it evolves into something I find even more satisfying. This is the stage where I spend most of my time working on 3D modeling. In the final stage, I focus on choosing the colors, poses, lighting, and final environments.

What is that piece you dream of creating but haven’t realized yet? And why?

In the future, I would like to design a piece of clothing again, like a t-shirt or a hoodie, but this time something more than just a garment with a print on the front. I want to create a piece designed from scratch, with unique cuts and different fits. I haven’t been able to do it yet because I feel I need to study a bit more and understand how the world of fashion production works.

Which areas would you like to explore with Quatiica?

I want to explore more fashion and music as well. I’ve already experimented a bit with producing electronic music, but it’s still an area I need to improve a lot.

How do you feel your art is perceived in Portugal?

My online audience has always been mostly made up of people from outside Portugal but this is also because I don’t use portuguese much online and haven’t connected much with the portuguese artist scene, which is something I’d like to start doing more.

Looking at the near future, do you see Quatiica more in the digital space or in the physical world? What does the future hold for you?

My work will always be largely digital, but I want to keep trying to bring that virtual world into reality and make it visible to more people.

A message to our community :)

Thank you, Portufiles, for doing this amazing work of trying to connect the world more with portuguese artists. And to everyone reading this, don’t let a job, studies, or other people stop you from doing what you love. And if you manage to do it, do it with passion and without any hidden interests.