QuriousMr’s interview

The QuriousMr Interview

A conversation with AI Artist QuriousMr, aka @QuriousMr on X

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON FEBRUARY 3, 2025

ALL IMAGES BY QURIOUSMR ARE GENERATED USING MIDJOURNEY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE

For the longest time, QuriousMr was a silent presence in my AI journey—one of my earliest followers, always engaging in the most subtle yet meaningful way. No words, no explanations—just an image, posted as a reply under one of mine, playing back in a quiet dialogue of art. I enjoyed it, I admired it, and from the very beginning of this AI Artist Interview series, I knew I wanted to feature him. Yet, for a year, he eluded the spotlight—until now.

QuriousMr’s philosophy is as striking as his art. He sees AI and social media as weapons for humanity, tools that, when wielded with wisdom, can either protect or destroy, and he urges us to express love over hate, compassion over ignorance. Though his background is in math and sciences, they have led him not to rigid logic, but to the fluidity of artistic expression. The principles of light, shadow, form, and color theory were never lost on him; instead, they became his superpower.

And that superpower is remixing. Dubbed the “Remix Ninja” by fellow artist Michael Rabone, QuriousMr thrives on experimentation—blending styles, applying intricate reference layers, and testing the limits of AI tools like Midjourney to generate stunning, impossible visuals. His work is often photographic in style, yet wholly unreal, filled with subtle special effects and an aesthetic that is both clean and striking.

Though fantasy is rare in his portfolio (except for his masterful dragons), his passion for technology and science fiction is evident. His futuristic designs are sleek, minimalist, and elegant, drawing us into visions of a not-so-distant future. His art embodies surreal and abstract forms, blending organic and artificial elements to create something both familiar and otherworldly. His humanoid figures, often depicted in contemplative or enigmatic poses, add a layer of narrative—whether they symbolize transcendence, evolution, or the mysteries of existence, and his many close-up portraits are just simply stunning.

His signature is in the contrast—deep shadows against piercing highlights, a color palette that is both restrained and impactful. Earthy tones dominate his work—gray, black, and gold—with glowing accents of yellow or red and blue against dark, atmospheric settings. His textural details add a tactile quality, making his abstract forms feel tangible, as if they belong to a reality just beyond our reach.

QuriousMr’s art is a fusion of surrealism, futurism, and symbolism, evoking contemplation and mystery, the sublime and the unknown. His worlds aren’t just digital constructs; they are meditations on transcendence, spiritual quests, and the endless possibilities of the future.

It’s been a long time coming, but this interview is one I’ve been waiting for. Stay tuned as we explore the mind of the Remix Ninja himself.

Let’s discover QuriousMr together.

Listen and hear

Without getting too personal, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi, I'm QuriousMr; my exploration of Art and Art history accelerated as I took up studying full-time again after 35 years of working life - started in teaching, IT development and management, and finally in management consultancy. I came into X engaging in current affairs and political debates; I'm middle of the road and on the side of the people and social justice for the majority (not a lefty or righty). Anyway, I built up massive impressions in my first half year without knowing it while I was using the free version of X.

Could you please tell us which country you live in?

England, UK

What led you to begin working with AI imagery?

My love of AI rendering began after getting curious about the capabilities of AI as a tool just after COVID-19. What surprised me most was how it fired my imagination, and I felt like a kid again, a feeling for art I had lost along the way growing up and was led away from my passion, my family, and society. Upon rediscovering my love for creative thought, I was always testing "what if" scenarios on a boundless scale. Yes, as some say, "I should have picked up a pencil" (AI haters calling themselves artists), but the learning curve was shortened more so with AI toolsets. I was able to achieve the outcomes I wanted and more without the steep mechanical learning of using tools. The concepts of light, shadow, form, and colour theory were not lost - but easier to study by asking Claude and other LLMs as teachers along with people in the AI community.

What AI tools do you use?

I have experimented with tools like Leonardo and a few free offerings until I came across Midjourney. Since version 5, I have not looked back; I was very active in groups on Facebook for some time, then felt I was overdoing it, so I went cold turkey to recover my thoughts and time out to challenge myself in other ways. It seemed most appropriate to me to jump back in 2024, so I came into X and took off using version 6 of Midjourney. It truly is my passion now, experimenting and learning every day. The toolset has yet to be beaten in terms of quality, flexibility, and sheer pleasure to use. Yes, it has its flaws, but work with them, and they will reward you.

What inspires you?

The wonderful people on X who engage and develop their accounts and are happy to embrace newcomers to the AI Community (not just AI art but AI in general). People are ready to share ideas and are all supportive of one another, even more so I found than on Facebook. Real artists are actively using AI as a tool, and I learned a lot from them over on Facebook. My mentors may be surprised but recognize who I am when I mention people such as John Weber and The Prompter (Irina) and others on that side. I developed closely alongside them for about a year. Also now interested in joining community spaces and webinars where people meet to discuss AI in general, not just AI art. I also have a love of all things tech, finance, and science-based.

Untitled

(One of @revelinai’s favorite images by QuriousMr)

In which other medium, if any, do you practice art?

I used to love drawing as a kid and doing ceramics in high school until the time a decision had to be made between maths, sciences, and art. Sad to say, I had to opt for the former. Okay, that got me where I am today, but I feel I neglected my first love for the sake of progress on a societal level. Hindsight is wonderful.

Would you consider AI-generated art true art?

Yes, wholly - it is a stepping stone back into the field at an accelerated pace. I have used it to also develop my love of photography, trying out different techniques I had heard about but never used on a camera and videography, something that sounds easy but isn’t until you try to piece together a storyboard and build it out to video, yet to progress beyond short 4-8 sec clips. It feels like the early days of GIFs! I also found it helped my well-being as a mindful exercise and escape from challenges. It also develops new neural pathways for creative thinking every time you challenge yourself to come up with something new! I believe it is an antidepressant that works. Also, it’s highly accessible to the most "artistically challenged" of us who have lost confidence in Art and want to regain some ground.

Please share one or a few of your favorite images with us.

Here are a few of my favorite images:

The end

Do you title your AI-generated art? If you do, what inspires you to come up with these titles?

Sometimes, usually, a current topic of interest or the output itself gives me ideas. I’m happy not to, but apparently, the X algorithm works better with text, so I try to include some.

When do you tend to be the most productive, and do you work in long sessions or short bursts?

At present, I have the freedom to work anytime I like, but that may change. But generally, I have short spells, and sometimes, once an idea flows, it can take days to develop. I do sometimes suffer from the equivalent of "writer’s block" and seek ways to reinvigorate, so taking breaks from it when I feel saturated is important to me to come up with a fresh idea. More lately, I have developed ideas based on triggers from the great leaders in the AI art community that trigger challenges.

SREF to die for…

What type of prompts do you prefer: text or AI-generated descriptions through fed images?

In my early days, learning the toolset and mastering every button and option was important, but like driving a car, once you get beyond the mechanical process of learning - your mind can run free at its own pace. Then, I developed into better prompt engineering using tokens, phrases, and learning that order is key. It is also useful to practice using other LLMs like perplexity, Claude, and now Deepseek to see how to drive them for what you want. In Midjourney via Discord, I used to use the /describe function, but now it’s even easier with Grok to get a starting point based on any other image if you want.

When prompting with text, do you write simple text-based prompts or complex ones?

Both, depending upon what I'm testing - simple if the focus is on trying out new SREFs and personalization codes for the first time. Then, I like to push the boat out and remix everything on complex prompts that try to exceed the limits of Midjourney, which is a hard thing to do.

Do you think text-based prompts should be shared within the AI art community?

Absolutely- in the spirit of open-source and decentralized models - the only real purpose for privacy is outdated thinking that somehow we have a commercial advantage we can leverage over others by keeping things secret. (The world is undergoing a paradigm shift, and most will be resistant to change, especially the powers that be; I’m all for power to the individual - true freedom over social dictate by any small group of very rich individuals).
Usually, if I have the time, I will try to share prompts as well, but I’m generally too busy to explain or discuss how I got what and why. I think cross-fertilization of ideas and remixing "all that jazz" is the real way to make "sweet music" in the AI art space. If recognition comes, it is largely from sharing, not showing off.

What is the most unconventional method you have used to create an image?

Oh boy! I could spend hours talking about this! As most of the true experimental stuff I do is so vast in my collection and detailed, I would have to write a book to describe my chain of thought on some of it! Maybe something I may do one day with Articles. I do remix a lot (image refs, style refs, p codes, chop, and merge prompts) to the point I think Michael Rabone @michaelrabone referred to me as Remix Ninja, and I liked it.

How many images have you generated using AI technology?

23,000+

Advanced material fusion-driven rocket engine

Please share your X (Twitter) handle with us.

@QuriousMr

Tell us a bit about your X handle and X username.

I named myself that as I have a very curious and inquisitive mind and like to explore and learn everything I can. I also wished to remain anonymous after I found X is sometimes a hostile place.

How many X followers do you currently have?

2,377 at the time of writing.

How many X accounts do you currently follow?

1,260

How long have you been on X (Twitter)?

Since 2013, but I have only used it around 2022/23, towards the end of COVID-19, as I found its newsfeed to be timely.

Untitled

Is there any other online platform where we can view all of your previous work apart from X?

No- (I stripped everything when I left Facebook and tried closing my personal account. I disagree with a lot of what Facebook does, but it is also now getting that way with X.)

In this world of cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), are you currently selling your digital art on any platform? If so, which platform are you using?

No, surprisingly, I intended to initially but then decided if I started selling my hobby, it would become a job. Then what do I do for a hobby?

Are you selling tangible AI-generated artwork, such as high-quality prints like Giclée prints?

Again, I initially went down that route and investigated but felt it was distracting from a passion I have that is just that.

Could you suggest some AI artists you like that we could follow?

I tend not to mention any names as it is not nice to leave anyone out who is so deserving. If you see who I follow or the people I engage with on my profile replies - that will give you a fair idea. Yes, I can mention the large players, but then again, some of those chosen to shrink their accounts or have been temporarily axed by X (for example - Skipper, Mohamed Ismail, or you, revelinai) for some stupidity on the part of the algorithm, which is why I am currently annoyed by X.

I wish to thank these folk that I admire and am inspired by:

Apologies to any friends and followers in our community, I have missed out!

Is there anything else you would like to add or share with the AI community?

Don't build expectations that this will pay you - do it for love, and maybe, just maybe - the opportunities will find themselves. The ad revenue feature in X sucks for AI art creators as engagement does not evaluate in terms of what you see but what you say. Given a picture speaks a thousand words, X is expecting you to engage and discuss to achieve success. I will just say, believe in the laws of attraction, remain positive, and network with those around you and on X that you love and respect for their work, and it will be paid back. We all live a short life - so stop and smell the flowers from time to time.