In 2021, a new creator economy was born on the blockchain. Since NFTs took center stage, artists have risen to NFT superstardom, forged multi-billion dollar brands in just a few months, and completely transformed lives time and time again. But the most inspiring thing about the NFT space is the number of artists of all faiths and media who have found community and support by embracing this technology.
In line with our mission to empower creators, we present Next one — our monthly franchise dedicated to showcasing emerging artists. While the NFT space has changed significantly over the past few years, one thing has remained true: the sheer number of creative talent in Web3 only continues to grow. In our May issue, we compiled a list of five up-and-coming talents that have been making waves in Web3.
Aaron Ricketts
Aaron Ricketts is a photographer and creative director from Philadelphia who is passionate about creating captivating images. His unique multimedia works demonstrate his ability to experiment with concepts and implement them in his subjects. Ricketts has amassed a wealth of awards over the years through his work with Netflix, Universal Pictures, Focus Features and more. In the NFT space, he has become known as a purveyor of fine art photography and a creator of surreal black images.
Eamon
Eamon Bonner, better known as Eamon, is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker based in New York. Bonner specializes in landscape photography and conveys his passion for the outdoors in his works, often capturing fleeting moments in nature through digital and analogue photography. In his professional career, he divides his time between producing short content for brands and guiding photography expeditions. Bonnar has become known in Web3 for his unbridled creativity and unique artistic approach.
Four
Four, sometimes called We are the four, is an enigmatic digital and conceptual artist who tries to tell stories through their unique images. While Four’s work spans illustration, animation, and photography, the scarf motifs in their multimedia works have become a distinctive staple of their Web3 output, leading to their prominence in the NFT space. Four has said that the series To The Scarf aims to depict people’s navigation to different phases of reality.
Gabe Weis
Gabe Weis is a San Francisco-based painter, illustrator and mixed media artist known for projects such as The Stoics And Conscious Lines. His self-taught style, which he says is inspired by street art and stoic philosophy, often focuses on abstract human-like characters and has been described by him as “stream of consciousness meets cubism.” To date, his works have been exhibited many times internationally, but apparently his main claim to fame in the NFT space – besides his one-of-a-kind collections and 1/1s – is his dedication to sustainability and collaboration.
Isaac Russ
Isaac Russ is a self-taught Andalusian artist currently living in Berlin, Germany. Through her photography (the genre of which is sometimes described as magical realism), she focuses on documenting women, nature and early parenthood. As a mother, many of her pieces are autobiographical, exploring themes of identity, home, and childhood nostalgia. Rus’s fascination with the “poetry present in the fleeting moments of everyday life” inspires her works, with collections such as her El puma that aim to visually express the conceptual nature of poetry.