Five to watch in June 2023

by · June 5, 2023

In 2021, a new creative economy was born on the blockchain. Since NFTs took center stage, artists have achieved NFT superstardom, billion dollar brands have been forged in just a few months, and lives have been completely transformed time and time again. Yet the most inspiring thing about the NFT space is the number of artists of all faiths and mediums who have found community and support by embracing this technology.

In line with our mission to empower creators, we present Next — our monthly franchise dedicated to showcasing new artists. Although the NFT space has changed significantly over the past few years, one thing has remained true: the sheer volume of creative talent in Web3 only continues to grow. In our June issue, we’ve compiled a list of five up-and-coming talents who have made significant waves through Web3.

Batzdu

Batzdu, known simply as Batz, is an artist, creator and generalist known for his modern style of memeism. After first gaining traction in the NFT space with GeoMetric Pepes (aka GM Pepes), the enigmatic artist has since capitalized on his growing success by creating a variety of meme-inspired and fine art projects. His journey to notoriety so far has culminated in landmark sales of collections such as Pepedenza and The Nine and cosigns from Jack Butcher, Vincent Van Dough and other prominent Web3 figures.

Emi Kusano

Emi Kusano is a Japanese interdisciplinary artist, entrepreneur and singer/songwriter based in Tokyo. Although Kusano is known in some circles as the lead singer of the synthwave group from the 80s Satellite Young, in Web3 she is most revered as the co-founder of the Shinsei Galverse NFT project and her nostalgia and retrofuturism based creations. Recently. Kusano made a splash with the release of her Bright Moments collaborative Neural Fad collection, which explores the relationship between AI and memory.

Gelo

Gelo is a New York-based creator who brings his more than 20 years of experience in architecture and art to the blockchain through a variety of different endeavors. With the self-imposed mission to reinterpret architectural forms as art in another time and space, Gelo uses light and shadow to imbue his pieces with deep emotion. From his 1/1s to editions and collaborative projects, Gelo’s work tells humanist stories with architecture as the protagonist.

Ivona Tau

Ivona Tau is an award-winning generative AI artist from Lithuania. Operating from a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence and 15 years of combined experience in professional photography and artificial intelligence, Tau has exhibited widely, including at Art Basel, SCOPE, The House of Fine Art, Bright Moments Berlin and Sotheby’s. In Web3, she often works with neural networks and code as a medium in experimental photography and motion painting with the aim of evoking emotions through artificially intelligent tools.

Christopher Shinn

Christopher Shinn is a Pacific Northwest based photographer who primarily shoots on film. Having found a knack for capturing moments both at home and abroad, over the years he has released a range of works both physically and digitally, with claims to fame in Web3 from coveted collections such as By Way of Water, Outer and his many collaborative projects with artists such as fellow Next Up/NFT100 awardees Batzdu, Postwook, Efdot and more.

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