I recently had the wonderful opportunity to interview Gekroent, an amazing artist and cosplayer who hails from Vienna, Austria. Gekroent showcases her work on the Gekroent – ART & Cosplay Facebook page, and specializes on portraying famous video game characters including Skyrim’s beloved Aela The Huntress. She’s a brilliant and articulate young woman who understands that cosplay isn’t simply the act of donning a costume. Rather, she makes cosplay a form of artistic expression. Whether she’s portraying Aela or her own creation, Talia Frostbiss, Gekroent’s work is inspirational and a lot of fun. In our exclusive interview she discusses cosplay as art, and gives outstanding advice for the aspiring cosplayer.
Gekroent Interview With Skyrim Fansite
Gekroent as Aela The Huntress
Skyrim Fansite: There are a lot of people that do cosplay, but you really seem to take cosplay to a higher, artistic level. Do you consider yourself an artist and your cosplay art?
Gekroent: Thank you very much for that compliment. I am not considering myself a great cosplayer or anything like it, but I really enjoy doing it and therefore I put a lot of effort in it. I do think cosplay is a kind of art. It even combines various types of art, design, crafting, sometimes painting, photography, etc. Nearly everything can become a piece of art, if you ask me.
Skyrim Fansite: Your effort definitely shows. Who are some of your favorite cosplay characters?
Gekroent: That’s always difficult to pick some. But I think my favourites so far are Aela the Huntress, Altair Ibn-La’Ahad – even though I just wore the costume once, Talia Frostbiss (my own character), Saix (Kingdom Hearts II – NOSTALGY!) and two of my next projects will be in my list of top faves too for sure: Elizabeth (Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea) and Leonardo Da Vinci! I always need to feel some kind of connection to the characters to really enjoy the costume.
Skyrim Fansite: Those are amazing characters to be sure, and I for one can’t wait to see your Elizabeth. From the perspective of the Skyrim Fansite, Aela the Huntress obviously grabs our attention. What inspires you about Aela? What draws you to her?
Gekroent’s sketch of her Aela costume design.
Gekroent: Thank you! I hope she’ll fit me, she just is a great game character ๐ Aela is simply badass. I like women like this, before I mostly cosplayed male characters but now I find more and more women like her that are just screaming “Cosplay me!!” She is a “strong independent Nord woman” to say it in memes. She is an impressive fighter, has ambition, is tougher than many male characters and is absolutely stubborn – a character trait we absolutely share.
Skyrim Fansite: Skyrim definitely has a lot of strong, female characters. Do you think this is one of the reasons why the game is so popular?
Gekroent: Probably! I have to say I enjoyed seeing the women in realistic armor once again and not in “metal bikinis” like in some games. The armor is realistic, their skin, faces and bodies are not perfect and dirty and that’s why I love their design. It’s realistic ๐
Skyrim Fansite: Besides Aela, what other characters would inspire you to Skyrim cosplay?
Gekroent as Talia Frostbiss, an original Skyrim character.
Gekroent: I would really like to cosplay Karliah one day. And my main character. Also a Dunmer lady. Will have to figure out which armor… Wolf Armor or Savior’s Hide probably. Some of my favorites. Even though Savior’s Hide is a bit revealing, I love the design. And I guess I don’t have to mention the Nightingale Armor. One of most people’s favorite and same goes for me.
Skyrim Fansite: LOL! What is it about the Nightingale Armor? It’s my favorite as well.
Gekroent: Absolute Want!! – Cosplay ๐ Hope I can manage to cosplay Karliah and therefor that armor one day. Will have to train my skills a bit more for that though.
Skyrim Fansite: The next big release for Elder Scrolls fans is the upcoming MMORPG. From what you know of the Elder Scrolls Online, do you foresee any cosplay possibilities?
Gekroent: I am not sure yet. I would love to play it though the monthly fee is a bit… hmm… you know. I don’t have so much time to play due to real life and work so I will have to think it over. BUT the design looks amazing already. The Altmer woman from the trailer really caught my eye.
Skyrim Fansite: The monthly fee is seriously controversial ๐ Moving away from Skyrim and the Elder Scrolls for a moment, what advice would you give to anyone aspiring to cosplay?
Gekroent: Cosplay what you love – do it for you and not for anybody else. And never let yourself get dragged down by doubt or mean comments. Sadly many cosplayers get hurtful comments for their costumes, you will need a thick skin but it’s really not that bad. And if a costume seems to be too difficult take a break. Take a break, sit down, drink a coffee and think it over again. You will always find help from other cosplayers. There are many helpful tutorials online and most of the cosplayers will answer if you message them and ask for advice. The hardest thing is to start with something.
Skyrim Fansite: Outstanding advice. Personally, I’d love to be able to Skyrim cosplay, but I lack the talent to create my own costume and persona. With that said, it’s great to be able to celebrate the achievements of others. Before we end the interview, is there anything else you’d like to add?
Gekroent: Thank you very much. Haha, that’s no excuse! As said, the beginning may be difficult but you’ll get over it ๐
Doesn’t matter if it’s cosplay, drawing, photography, crafting, making music, writing… no matter what you enjoy doing, never give up what you love. Don’t let yourself be dragged down. Keep on enjoying your hobbies and art, and never forget the PLAY in “CosPLAY” – we do it to have fun and meet awesome people to have fun with who share our interests.
Skyrim Cosplay
It’s encouraging and inspirational to see an artist like Gekroent celebrate Skyrim and other great video games through cosplay. Talented artists and Skyrim cosplay helps to strengthen the gaming community, and I sincerely thank Gekroent for giving us an exclusive interview and for allowing our readers to gain insight about her work. To show your support for Gekroent, please visit and like her Facebook page. Also, if you know of any other Skyrim artists or fans that you believe should be showcased on the Skyrim Fansite please contact me. Until next time fellow travelers!
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Shane Scarbrough
Shane Scarbrough is the founder of the Skyrim Fansite. He's a business owner, video game journalist, and role playing game aficionado. When he's not working he enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games. He's currently on his third playthrough of Skyrim, and is playing as a Templar in The Elder Scrolls Online. You can find Shane on Google+ and FaceBook.
