Meet Tezza

Artist, influencer, musician, entrepreneur

Meet Tezza - illustration 1

Tezza in front of her shopTezza.com x Charles Barton collage kit

LA-based influencer and creative Tezza has built an artistic empire, amassing over 1 million followers while doing so. Discover her tips on finding the beauty in everyday life, the artists she's loving and the place she feels most inspired... 

1. Hi Tezza! You're an artist, influencer, musician, founder of 3 brands… am I missing anything? This is an impressive resume. Could you share a bit about your journey to get here?

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family full of creatives, from painters to graphic designers to musicians, art was always at the forefront of everything I did. At 16 I found myself taking summer programs at FIT and Parsons, studying fashion design which then lead to discovering my love for storytelling through photography. I got my BFA in fine arts with an emphasis in photography and then my journey really began. After college I was using social media as a way to connect with all the brands that I loved and to display my portfolio of work, which eventually led to some creative consulting roles. After doing that for several years, I wanted to build my own brand that brought physical and digital art together in a unique way as I love both so much. My business partner and husband, Cole, and I launched the brand Tezza a few years ago, and it encompasses physical art prints and a photo/video editing app that helps creators discover their inner artist.

2. Your mantra is “the art of life." Why? I'm reminded of Georgia O'Keeffe. 

Growing up I always felt like so many people viewed art as an intimidating space. It was either thought of as an exclusive group of people that had an air of elitism, or as the starving artist living on the fringe. We use the Art of Life as our mantra because the Tezza world is really about inviting everyone to see the beauty in the mundane, to look within and discover their inner artist and to make their life their own work of art. I think there is an innate artist within all of us, and we really want art to be less intimidating for people to dive in and discover.

3. Extending on the last question, how have you managed to find beauty in everyday life during quarantine?

For many years I have been moving so quickly, traveling a lot, working way too many hours. I forgot what the beauty of a routine was like. Simple things like waking up and making coffee, sitting on the porch watching the sun go down, walking around and being with nature, listening to music, those simple moments that really show you that there is inspiration in everything.

Meet Tezza - illustration 1
Meet Tezza - illustration 1

Left: A snapshot from Tezza's trip to Positano, Italy / Right: Tezza wearing Sara Wong for Vogue Italia 

4. What are your favorite pieces of art in your home?

We recently just purchased the most amazing piece from Taylor Kibby. She is a sculptor in Los Angeles and we went to her studio last summer and were so blown away by the texture and movement in her work we had to secure a piece on the spot.

5. Most recently, you've lived in New York and LA. What are your favorite places to experience art in your cities?

The Lower East Side in NYC is packed full of the coolest art galleries. You can walk the streets back and forth and never get bored. I used to love grabbing a coffee on Sunday and meandering through the galleries, hoping to stumble on something new. I am new to LA and not much has been open, but a favorite recent discovery is the Tase gallery, it's a beautiful curation of fashion and art.

6. You've traveled extensively. Where do you feel most inspired?

It's going to sound cliche, like saying my favorite song is on the top 10 charts but that's because its actually that good! I adore Positano, Italy. Even as I sit here and type it I can't help but start to smile. I happened to be there a few years ago on an Italian Holiday and so it was packed! I am someone who thrives off of energy and let me tell you, I have never been in a more vibrant place. Families on holiday swimming in the ocean for hours, basking in the sun, enjoying every minute of the day without a care in the world. It is something that really gets my heart jumping. The landscape is what you see in every photo and painting, but once you see it in real life you understand why it's so loved. It's romantic, it's epic, it's exactly what you dream up in your mind when you think of the Italian coast. It's a place that I keep tucked in the back of my brain for those moments I want to escape.

Meet Tezza - illustration 1
Meet Tezza - illustration 1

Left: Tezza posed on the beach / Right: Tezza's Tezza.co 2020 sunglasses launch ©Amberly Valentine

7.  Which contemporary artists, famous or emerging, are a source of inspiration to you?

I will always have a soft spot for fashion illustration. My current favorite is Rosie McGuinness, her use of negative space is enchanting and something I think about when designing a new piece or when I pick up my camera to photograph.

8.  Finally, you've built your career digitally. What are your views on the expansion of the online art market and what do you think the art market will look like in the future?

The recent news around NFTs and Beeple's massive sale with Christie's has really opened my mind about the future of digital art. I think it's very much the Wild West right now, and people are trying all kinds of things to see what sticks. But I'm very excited about the democratic nature of it all. I'm hopeful it will allow independent artists to be more easily discovered and to be able to buy and sell their art on their terms without being beholden to traditional models that can be so hard to break into. There's an element to it that reminds me of when Instagram first started and it really blew up the way photography was seen and valued. Initially it was unsettling, but so much opportunity erupted from it and I was lucky enough to be able to adapt and grow with it. I'm very excited to see where these recent developments take us, I've already discovered so many amazing artists amongst all the buzz.


Their favorite artworks

Fine Art Drawings, Impair, Gustavo Lins

Impair

Gustavo Lins

Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 21 x 0.1 cm

$678

Print, Lovers - 1904/1905, Gustav Klimt

Lovers - 1904/1905

Gustav Klimt

Print - 65 x 50 cm

Sold

Photography, Portrait of Twiggy, London, Burt Glinn

Portrait of Twiggy, London

Burt Glinn

Photography - 50.8 x 40.6 cm

Sold

Photography, Lost & Found, Théo Gosselin

Lost & Found

Théo Gosselin

Photography - 30 x 20 x 2 cm

$452

Painting, Untitled, Aleksander Grzybek

Untitled

Aleksander Grzybek

Painting - 57 x 17 cm

Sold

Photography, By My Side 7, Antoine Rose

By My Side 7

Antoine Rose

Photography - 35 x 35 x 0.5 cm

$1,242

Sculpture, Rêverie d'un soir, Béatrice Bissara

Rêverie d'un soir

Béatrice Bissara

Sculpture - 47 x 40 x 43 cm

$14,399

Painting, The Singer 2, Emma Donaldson

The Singer 2

Emma Donaldson

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm

$113

Photography, Le nu provençal, Willy Ronis

Le nu provençal

Willy Ronis

Photography - 40 x 30 cm

$5,647

Photography, Elvis Presley's TV, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, Annie Leibovitz

Elvis Presley's TV, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

Annie Leibovitz

Photography - 35.2 x 45.5 cm

$22,500

Photography, Andy Warhol, New York City, Annie Leibovitz

Andy Warhol, New York City

Annie Leibovitz

Photography - 50.8 x 40.6 cm

$50,000

Photography, Lady Blue, Laurent Castellani

Lady Blue

Laurent Castellani

Photography - 100 x 70 x 0.01 cm

$903

Painting, Coquillage du Sine Saloum, Sénégal, Titouan Lamazou

Coquillage du Sine Saloum, Sénégal

Titouan Lamazou

Painting - 30 x 21 cm

$5,421

Fine Art Drawings, La mort me veut, Jean Cocteau

La mort me veut

Jean Cocteau

Fine Art Drawings - 41 x 29 x 0.2 cm

$7,340

Painting, La Robe Verte, Jean-Baptiste Dumont

La Robe Verte

Jean-Baptiste Dumont

Painting - 54 x 38 x 2 cm

Sold

Fine Art Drawings, La Chute, Claude Weisbuch

La Chute

Claude Weisbuch

Fine Art Drawings - 27 x 37 x 0.1 cm

Sold