Baltimore native artist Vinnie Hager, known for its distinctive and bold use of lines, shapes and patterns, and the popular NFT collection, ‘Letters’, will release a very personal artistic venture on September 7. Entitled ‘Diary’, this collection of 100 1/1s and a generative open edition will offer the public a glimpse into Hager’s artistic journey from his first foray into drawing in 2016 to the present day.
With Diary, Hager aims to provide an authentic window into his creative evolution and deep-seated emotions, a feeling he candidly shared during a conversation with nft now.
An archive of growth
Hager says the idea for “Diary” all started while visiting his grandmother’s house. Over the years he found a number of saved drawings, paintings and doodles and wanted to do something special with them.
“I pulled out a set of 100 drawings that I felt really told a story about myself over the past seven years,” he said. “There were turbulent personal times, and this body of work to some extent tells the story.”
His collection will contain the 100 1/1 drawings, and minters will receive digital and physical versions.
He said he showed many friends his visual eras of artwork and eventually teamed up with fellow creator Danny Cole of Creature World to categorize his drawings and add a generative art aspect.
“There will be 12 categories of the 100 drawings,” Hager said. “Each is a visual style. The categories range from thick pattern lines, different media elements and portraits, and there are some where I used more texts and dates, etc.
All physical drawings were drawn by Hager in the period 2016-2023, with the new shot being the generatively produced additions.
An exploration of the past
Beneath the lines, hues and intricate patterns lies a tapestry woven of profound personal trials – the loss of his parents and brother.
“The most important personal experience that has made me put my head down and focus on art is the passing of both my parents,” Hager said. “It was a turbulent four to five years, but art was something that was there for me. It was something therapeutic for me.”
Through these artworks, Vinnie Hager aims to articulate the profound impact of his creative practice and therapeutic artistry, which emerged as his guiding light during moments of adversity. This profound journey enabled him to transcend challenges and discover new avenues for growth, connection and self-expression, a story he is eager to share with the world.
As time matured his perspective, Hager found solace and self-discovery in looking back at his old drawings.
“Getting older and looking back now, and seeing what I had to say and express through drawing,” Hager said. “It was fun for me to look back and dive deep into my thoughts and emotions.”
After sharing a short video clip on his Twitter accountsHager says he will premiere a longer mini-documentary about 10 minutes long and will be out before Sept. 7.
During two years in the NFT space, Hager has collaborated with brands including Meta/Instagram, Tommy Hilfiger, TIME Magazine, OpenSea, Cameo and more. Now, after cultivating his audience and expanding his collector community through art, Hager wants to use “Diary” to build on the deep connection he has with those who are genuinely interested in his work.
The sale, which debuts exclusively on OpenSea and is created in partnership with Creature Labs, will be open 24 hours a day, starting at 2 p.m. EST on September 7. The coin price is 0.049 ETH.