Many people happily, or unhappily, go down the route of stability when it comes to their job, often pressured to fit in with societal norms. But for the few people who break the mould and go after their passion, life becomes an exciting ride, even if it’s a little later in the game. French Digital Artist and Photographer Sylvie Robert is of the few who did just that, leaving behind her profession in the corporate world to pursue her dream career in art. Robert’s philosophy is that it’s never too late to restart, however daunting the task may seem in the moment.

Over the years, Robert has become a wanderlust afflicted child of the world; flitting between the city of Rome and Miami. Now a photographer as well as a Digital Artist, she has become renowned for creating mesmerising digital paintings, as well as photographic artworks from her unique perspective.

Born and raised in Paris by a mother who was an art collector and auctioneer, Robert was constantly surrounded by art. When she was just four years old, she watched Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí star in a 1968 advert for Lanvin Chocolate and was hooked. Dalí’s kooky character sparked Robert’s passion for surrealism, an art form she fell in love with for its eccentricity and construction of illogical scenes. Robert also attended many art exhibits and museums with her mother, exposing her to a wondrous world of paintings and sculptures.

Years later, Robert attended École du Louvre in Paris, studying Art and Architecture. After securing a corporate job and beginning her responsible career, Robert soon felt stuck in an unfulfilling role. Potential jobs in art and design lingered in her mind, allowing her to ponder about what she could do. Along with Dalí, Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte and Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico’s work fuelled her love of art further, not only because they were major artists in the surrealist art movement, but because they captured the definition of surrealism by being unafraid to push boundaries and express themselves through metaphysical paintings. Their work motivated Robert to push boundaries herself through her own artwork and in her life.

Amidst the years of pressures placed upon her by society and family dictating she fit in, Robert finally put her foot down. ‘There is no school that teaches passion’, she says, so she set out to chase her own.

At 35, Robert packed her bags and moved to sun-kissed Miami. She became fascinated by the 3D animation of Disney Pixar classics such as Toy Story and the futuristic aesthetic of The Matrix, and it wasn’t long until she began designing pieces inspired by The Matrix using 3D software. Initially, Robert only set out to create her pieces for pleasure, explaining ‘I was doing it for myself’. She never imagined the turn her work would take next as a digital artist.

Just three years after moving to Miami, Robert was spotted by a friend and landed her first twelve-piece solo art exhibition at Nikki Beach Club in Florida, where she began selling her creations. She received positive attention from the public, which opened the door for more of her own exhibitions at South Beach, Miami. Robert marks her first exhibition as a pivotal moment since it shaped the life she leads today.

Robert’s digital paintings combine contrasting elements of futuristic vibes with nature scenes, her own definition of surrealism different to other surrealist artists because of where her work’s inspiration comes from: The Matrix, surrealism, cloud paintings by the Dutch Masters and her previous travels to Asia besides Dalí, Magritte and Giorgio de Chirico. Robert considers her piece, Dalí on The Beach, to be her magnum opus, an ‘homage’ to Dalí with a  purpose of stimulating ‘the eyes and the mind’. It is a digital canvas of metal elements with 3D reflective rectangles, a masked face, and knolls with small trees above rippled sand. Her work has earned her letters of thanks, brought tears of happiness and requests for advice for budding artists, which she finds ‘fulfilling to be evoking these emotions in people through art’.

Robert’s beautiful photography has two main concepts, staying true to the theme of a man-made world versus nature. The first is Men at Work, featuring imagery of her travels from modern architecture in Miami to historical buildings in Morocco. The second is God’s Creation, capturing pictures of exotic flora and fauna and landscapes such as desolate deserts and oceans under sunset. Robert’s background has allowed her to branch out to additional jobs in art and design, as seen in her graphic design portfolio examples. Her graphic design portfolio examples are designs for her high-end clients’ websites, including Villa Xpu-Ha in the Mayan Riviera. Her designs incorporate her own top-quality images to bring a unique perspective on the clients’ hotel or product and make them pop amongst the crowd.

Though being a digital artist remains her ultimate passion, Robert has focused on her photography in the past decade because of an eye ailment. Her work has transferred to Instagram, @sylvierobert, where she marries her photography with her cross-continental visits to Columbia, Mexico and Dubai, to name a few along with her life in Rome and Miami. For Robert, exploring the world and taking photographs is ‘still a way to be around art’, now capturing the beauty of real places instead of those in her imagination.

Robert not only sparks wanderlust amongst viewers of her beautiful photography, she also educates her 26.1K following by including intriguing facts about the photograph’s subject, such as when a certain statue was built and by whom. The introduction of digital art into the travel industry has been ‘fundamental and a revolution’ to her, because now one can virtually explore places around the globe they never knew existed. Robert blends the two industries by taking people on virtual journeys through her photography whilst creating a space to appreciate art, whether it be through quirky statues or nature vistas.

Robert’s photography still captures her love of art, featuring stunning snapshots of graffiti and street art, elegant architecture and landscapes tempting one to step into the picture. Alcântara, Lisbon and Wynwood, Miami, are among Robert’s favourite locations for graffiti and street art. In Alcântara, artwork by the likes of Portuguese street artist Alexandre Manuel Dias Farto, known as Vhils, Brazilian street artist Jota Aracê and Spain-born twin brothers Raoul and Davide Perré, known as How and Nosm all struck her for their ‘visually mesmerising’ appearance. Jota Aracê’s piece at Alcântara’s LX Factory, titled Olhares da mata, where he paints an Amazonian child’s face under an actual tree to denounce deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, particularly stayed with her. Aracê reflects a strong message by combining his art with nature, and with Robert’s work also focusing on the man versus nature theme, it’s no wonder this piece and photograph remains special to her.

Since the first annual Art Basel Miami Beach fair in 2002 and the Second Saturday Art Walk came to the Wynwood Business Improvement District, Wynwood has been a major hub for street art displays, attracting artists and art-enthusiasts from around the globe. Robert was no exception from the many flocking here to admire a breadth of creations. The works of Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra, known as just Kobra, and LA artist Cloe Hakakian stood out for Robert upon first sight, their vibrant colours drawing her in. Hakakian’s untitled artwork, an almost 61-metre long mural featuring a portrait of Dalí on the far left, has great significance for Robert. This isn’t only because of Dalí, but also because she watched Hakakian complete the mural live over a few days from start to finish, allowing her to ‘emotionally click’ with the piece and photograph. Robert visited Hakakian early in the morning with barely anyone around, creating an intimate and unforgettable experience. Though each street art piece from Alcântara and Miami is unique to its artist, Robert appreciates their mutual use of 3D effects, which, like her own work, brings the piece and photograph to life.

Robert’s photography has also become a collage of breath-taking modern and historical architecture from around the world, leaving viewers in awe of each shot. One of her inspirations was the Palazzo Di Lorenzo Castelluccio, a restored, neoclassical 18^th Century palace in the picturesque Noto, Sicily. The palace is now private property, with a portion open to the public. Robert found herself nostalgic after comparing the Sicilian palace to the Palace of Versailles, a great part of French culture and her childhood. Its interior moved her with its well-preserved Sicilian ceramic floors and frescoes, but what she loved most was having the palace to herself when it would usually be teeming. For Robert, capturing an undisturbed scene on camera makes this photograph, along with others she has taken, exceptional. Unlike her graffiti and street art photographs which relate to her own work, Robert’s photographing of Palazzo Di Lorenzo Castelluccio was purely fuelled by her passion for art and desire to show the beauty of the destinations she discovers.

Robert’s landscape photography doesn’t fall short in impressing the audience, and her current hometown of Rome offers some incredible scenes. Titled Contemplation due to the length of time she could observe the wonderful view, her photograph of St. Angelo Bridge with the historic St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City in the background captures the Italian capital’s grandeur, which has a special place in her heart. Including the Vatican City in the photograph was important to Robert because it’s so influential in the art world. The Vatican Museums are the world’s third most visited art museums, and she believes art wouldn’t be the same today without them. But what truly motivated her to click her camera was the cloudy sky, since it made the landscape more dramatic and reminded her of the cloud paintings by the Dutch Masters. Robert also always began drawing the sky in her own paintings, connecting her even more to the picture.

However, to get to where she is now wasn’t easy. ‘When you start everything from scratch, it’s a lot of work’, she shares on becoming her own boss. On top of spending years learning about the digital artist profession and honing her craft, it was often difficult balancing her work life in Miami and Rome and her family life in Rome and Paris. But Robert is an advocate for chasing after one’s dreams and has no regrets about the way things panned out.

For Robert, starting one’s dream job ‘is a question of attitude’, not age. For those seeking a similar life path, ‘don’t let go of what you love to do because creativity cannot be killed’ no matter one’s age, she advises.

Sylvie Robert represents those who are bold enough to chase after their passion despite the risks and has been rewarded with a life full of art and adventure. More of her work is on her Facebook page.