The future of art ownership is here, and with it, a new world of potential for investors and collectors. These 10 artists are worth getting your eyes on.
10 Artists Every NFT Collector Should Know About
NFTs are exciting, with all the floor price talk, the FUD, the FOMO, and of course, the drama. But one of the best parts about NFTs and crypto is how it brings together people through communities. NFTs attract oddballs, true believers, and passionate people. It also attracts artists—real artists: painters, sculptors, musicians, illustrators, and designers, to name a few. The kind we should all be willing to support—in the form of buying their work so they can continue to do what they do and what they love.
Many creators and artists are taking their craft to the next level by using their talent in NFT art.
This space is all about the freedom to do what you want and be creative, even if that means going against the status quo.
Meet ten creators leaving their mark with NFTs
NFT art is a new way for artists to find their audience and a new way for collectors to showcase their taste. This list gives you an idea of who some of the creators are and where they host their work.
It's a highly subjective list, as it depends on what you like, but we tried to mix it up. Each of these creators has something unique and different. Some focus on 3D modeling, some create pixel art, while others use Adobe Anime Free to make their NFTs. Some are known for their work in other industries, like film or music.
Let's take a look at their work!
1. Gal Yosef
Project: Meta Eagle Club NFT on OpenSea
Gal Yosef is a renowned Israeli 3D artist who created the Crypto Bull Society. He started experimenting with 3D art when he was 12 years old and is now considered one of the most influential digital artists of our time. Crypto Bull was his first NFT collection—and sold out immediately. He has other collaborations with artists like Steve Aoki and Justin Bieber.
Yosef created the Meta Eagle Club with the prestigious EDEN Gallery and its NFT studio, RNSNC. The collection of 12k eagles is part of the first chapter of the Galyverse.
2. Remo
Project: Dream Engine
Remo Camerota is THE artist. With a 25 year career, he's known for his contemporary techniques, cutting-edge art, and timeless, compelling style.
He has various NFT projects like Skull Blocks and Crypto Bots. But we'd like to share one where he collaborates with David 'DC' Collier: Dream Engine.
As described on ArtBlocks Dream Engine is: "An ethereal Generative Art project exploring the DNA of the blockchain through sound, vision, and interactivity. Dream Engine also uses psychoacoustic neural frequencies. Dream Engine is an ethereal art project that allows us to see, hear and touch the heart of the blockchain by exploring its sleeping DNA."
3. DeeKay
Project: Let's Walk
DeeKay Kwon (권동욱) is an independent animator from South Korea living in the Bay Area. He is the creator of Let's Walk, an NFT project of 100 walk cycles divided into 30 editions.
Let's Walk is not a collection of traits. All walks are different and unique on their own—and pretty entertaining indeed. However, DeeKay has mentioned that lower editions of walks (with higher demand) can be considered rarer.
4. Maliha Abidi
Project: Women Rise NFT
Maliha is a Pakistani-American acclaimed published author and visual artist. Her latest project is Women Rise, a 10k collection of women activists, artists, scientists, coders & more rising on the blockchain.
These NFTs have more than 453 hand-drawn traits. The mission of Maliha's project is to contribute to gender equality causes, especially in the most marginalized communities.
Interesting fact: During an interview, Maliha expressed that one of her personal goals is to bring 100,000 girls and women to the crypto, blockchain, and NFT space by the end of 2022.
5. Reva
Project: Through the Window
After years of experience in VR and AR, Reva is a self-taught digital artist working as a freelancer in Beijing, China; now exploring algorithmic art, crypto art, creative programming, real-time interactive installation, and GPU shader programming.
Through the Window uses algorithms to create beautiful blossoms and branches that blend with their surroundings. It also does the same for trees and window lattices to recreate the elegant look of traditional Chinese architecture and artwork.
6. Milo Lombardi
Project: Nifty Sax Genesis
Milo is a saxophonist, composer, and music director that has performed in front of thousands of people with award-winning pieces. He is now creating music NFTs using his saxophone as the only medium.
Among Milo's collections, Nifty Sax: Genesis is an intimate look at the soul of an artist, distilled in 100 auditory experiences. Various NFT artists created the cover art for this project with 75 special covers and 25 OG covers.
7. Maxwell Step
Project: The Glitches
Maxwell is a Canadian graphic designer and pixel artist who explores human faces through his art. He designed The Glitches; a 5k PFP project focused on diversity and inclusion, which showcases his talent for capturing people's essence using pixels.
8. Numo
Project: CryptoTeddies
Numo is a self-taught pixel artist from Germany, doing every kind of pixel art. He entered the NFT space in 2020, but he quickly became known in the community. CryptoTeddies is his 1/1 collection where each piece is individually handmade—with love, of course, because those are adorable Teddies in the blockchain.
9. Dennis Schmelz
Project: Aerial Loops
Dennis is an award-winning filmmaker and NFT photographer from Germany. His first NFT collection on OpenSea, called Aerial Loops, is a compilation of 30 unique videos with some of the most beautiful places on earth from a bird's-eye view.
10. Claire Droppert
Project: Sand Creatures
You'll need one more minute to keep staring at Claire's art. Claire is a Dutch conceptual photographer who authentically captures landscapes during her travels. It's just mesmerizing.
Claire has more than one NFT collection, but Sand Creatures is an animated part of the Gravity Project series. She aims to capture the earth's different elements using moments of zero gravity. This series was featured in publications like The Huffington Post and ABCNews.
How to find new artists to collect art from
The million-dollar question! It's hard to miss the excitement that surrounds the NFT art space. But with this many creators out there, it can be overwhelming to track them all. The truth is, there's no exact formula or list of steps to follow to be ahead in this space. But you can start interacting and get more involved one day at a time.
The market itself is moving fast. The best way to stay on top of the game is to get involved in the conversations. These are some essential tips to keep up:
- Join Discord communities so you can be a part of what's going on, get the inside news—and luckily be there when an announcement comes.
- Follow NFT tools to see which artists are creating new projects, joining the space, or what type of art is booming. At Bueno, we're constantly sharing news, product updates, and crypto-related tips!
- Stay active on social media to build your presence, whether as an artist, collector, or fan. Being present is the best way to connect and discover what's coming next on the NFT market.
Bonus: Check out this list of 22 incredible women thriving in the NFT industry—who you should be following.
There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic
The NFT space opens many opportunities for creators to connect with their audiences and make money from their work. As a collector, if you're buying an NFT, do it because of your convictions and interests, not because others say you should. Maybe you feel a connection with the artist or the artwork itself, and that's what caught your eye—which is totally fine!
This list was by no means extensive, but it helps give you a hint of what's out there and will hopefully inspire you to explore more.
*Not financial advice. Remember to do your own research before buying or investing in NFTs.