“What does Every Body look like in the metaverse?” That was the question posed to Keiken, SuzyQ, Wu Ziyang, CryptoZR (Liu Jiaying) and Owo Anietie—digital artists from The MetaArt Club’s (TMAC) global collective, and the handpicked names behind Vogue Singapore’s upcoming NFT drop. Centered around the theme of inclusivity, diversity and celebrating our own unique individuality, the collaborative drop presents a collection of 10 stunning pieces—a mix of digital artworks, video clips and gaming avatars—all soon to be available on the Ethereum-based platform OpenSea.
“The metaverse allows us to transform our bodies beyond the realms of what is possible in the physical world. We can occupy bodies—both human and non-human—and create our own reality,” shared Hana Omori, Isabel Ramos and Tanya Cruz of artist collective Keiken, also, winner of Chanel Next Prize 2021. “Here [in the metaverse], we are free from the laws and structures of reality. We can break away from the mould and change the way we view and interact with the world around us.”
Inspired by our March theme of ‘Every Body’, this limited edition NFT collection will be available on OpenSea from 5 May, 8PM SGT (8AM EST) to 10 May, 10AM SGT (9 May, 10PM EST). Each NFT will be available in 50 editions, at a range of 0.11ETH to 0.26ETH each.
Here, we speak to the five creatives about their journey thus far in the metaverse and how they interpreted the theme of ‘Every Body’ in their NFT creations for Vogue Singapore.
SuzyQ
‘Moo無, Night Air’ by SuzyQ
Tell us about your journey in the NFT space—when did you hear about NFTs and what made you decide to mint your creations for sale as NFTs?
I minted and sold my first NFT in March 2021. What I love most about this space is how artists here can connect and build relationships with one another. We are not limited by geography—I am able to get to know others from around the world and be exposed to their creations.
What does ‘Every Body’ mean to you?
The body is somewhat of a taboo subject in Asian culture. We grow up thinking that there is one set image of a beautiful body, and we try out best to conform to that ideal. Especially in Korea, we are obsessed with the perfect womanly figure—thin waist, big breasts and fair skin. I chose to go against this when designing Moo Limbo. Her character design is that of a little girl—different from that of a model and a beautiful woman. It is my way of injecting diversity into the art field.
‘Moo無, Blessing’ by SuzyQ
Tell us about the pieces you have created for Vogue Singapore.
The pieces I created for Vogue Singapore’s NFT drop feature my character ‘Moo Limbo’. The first piece, ‘Moo無, Night Air’ showcases Moo enjoying a night flight with her goldfish friends, while the second artwork, ‘Moo無, Blessing’ is a literal blessing to all the beauty that we have in the world. It is a reflection of the goodness to be found in our universe and it is my way of giving thanks for being able to experience the journey that I am currently on.
CryptoZR (Liu Jiaying)
‘比特币之尼古拉斯1 (Mother Nature Bitcoin 1)’ by CryptoZR (Liu Jiaying)
Tell us about your journey in the NFT space—when did you hear about NFTs and what made you decide to mint your creations for sale as NFTs?
I have always been interested and involved in the crypto world and cryptocurrency. I started out dealing with smart contracts and joined the NFT space in 2019 with my creation, ‘1000 EYE’. The artwork is based on the eye of Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonym of the father of Bitcoin. I painted 1,000 copies of his eye, anonymised each one, and issued 1,000 corresponding NFTs that sold for 1ETH each. The artwork represents the decentralised nature of the blockchain, where each NFT exists as an independent entity, while also being a part of something bigger.
What does ‘Every Body’ mean to you?
I envisioned the integration between the privacy of the human body and the importance of personal asset protection.
‘比特币之尼古拉斯2 (Mother Nature Bitcoin 2)’ by CryptoZR (Liu Jiaying)
Tell us about the pieces you have created for Vogue Singapore.
Based off a physical work I created two years ago. I encrypted the private key of a bitcoin iconographically, and engraved it on a one-to-one size human sculpture. My two animated pieces are centered around the goddess Mother Nature and bitcoin—referencing a futuristic version of Mother Nature in the metaverse. It is a personification of the origins of the crypto world. For instance, the avatar’s halo and tattoos feature the 52 characters of a bitcoin private key—the original form of cryptocurrency. The avatar’s movement, is constantly walking forward, which is a further representation of the immense and ongoing progress happening in the crypto world. However, if you look closely, the avatar has a glassy and unfocused gaze—a symbol of the uncertainty and ambiguity of the space as it develops. The private keys on the body disappear with the character and as an individual, if your crypto assets are lost, they disappear forever.
Owo Anietie
Tell us about your journey in the NFT space—when did you hear about NFTs and what made you decide to mint your creations for sale as NFTs?
My first interactions with the NFT space were in late 2020 and I minted my first NFT in February 2021. Titled ‘Masked’, it featured a Benin mask wearing a surgical mask—a mask wearing a mask. It was intended as a playful take on the pandemic with how everyone was going about wearing masks and it was sold within 24 hours to a collector in Australia.
Truth be told, I was quite taken aback by the sale—I didn’t know that people around the world were interested in my works. I had always thought that I was creating for my friends and family as a form of casual enjoyment. Joining the NFT space has opened my eyes to the fact that anything is possible—that an African artist can sell his art pieces to anyone out there in the world and reach out to a diverse audience.
What does ‘Every Body’ mean to you?
When I think of ‘Every Body’, I think of representation. As an artist, I see it as my duty to break the rules and tell a different story: by actively looking for and celebrating alternatives as opposed to going with what the conventional standard is.
Tell us about the pieces you have created for Vogue Singapore.
My background is in motion design and traditional canvas painting. I love making landscapes, and that is something I try to carry forward in my NFT pieces as well.
The pieces I created for Vogue Singapore draw upon my history as an African artist and afrofuturism. Our ancestry informs the way we act, the way we interpret past events and the way we approach life on a day-to-day basis. I find it important—especially as someone of African descent—to educate others about our origins and celebrate our beginnings. The concept of afrofuturism is imagining a bright future for Africans where everyone is seen as equal. ‘Everybody’ equals inclusivity for me, and it can be seen from the two pieces how the women are dressed, expressing their African roots and feeling confident knowing they can do whatever they set their minds to.
Wu Ziyang
‘Screen Body – Times Square Dancing’ by Wu Ziyang
Tell us about your journey in the NFT space—when did you hear about NFTs and what made you decide to mint your creations for sale as NFTs?
I first heard about NFTs in November 2020, when I was a member of NEW INC (an art and technology incubator founded by the New Museum in New York). I closely followed all sorts of projects, news and events in the NFT space, but it wasn’t until June 2021 that I minted my first NFT work—A Woman with the Technology (II).
As an artist, I am naturally sceptical about everything—especially trendy topics like NFTs. What ultimately attracted me to join this space was the community aspect—how artists, creative developers, curators, collectors and people from the tech world could come together and collectively make decisions in a decentralised system. I see this as the way forward—where people of various backgrounds can come together and hopefully eliminate the hierarchies that often exist in the traditional art world.
As an artist, NFTs open up so many new possibilities regarding the creation of art. The merger of art-making, collecting and participation unlocks new creative avenues—including the adoption of more sustainable practices amongst artists.
What does ‘Every Body’ mean to you?
I interpreted the theme of ‘Every Body’, to show we are not only confident in our own bodies, but also in that we have the commitment and strategy to challenge the issues and stereotypes relating to the body. The metaverse provides us with the opportunity to challenge existing inequalities and stereotypes, reinventing the way we build bodies and characters.
Tell us about the pieces you have created for Vogue Singapore.
Growing up amidst significant cultural change and the development of the Internet, I am always dissatisfied with a single visual form and seek to include different elements in my works, such as technology, drama and visual samples from different cultures.
I created two pieces for the NFT drop. The first NFT—‘Tele-Republic of Home – Body Allegory in the Post-Pandemic Era’—relates a scenario where there is no distance between work, pleasure, production and sex. The second piece, titled ‘Screen Body – Times Square Dancing’, juxtaposes two kinds of bodies that are becoming more ubiquitous in our daily lives. Fragmented ‘real’ bodies are shown on billboards and screens while virtual bodies—with screen-like and reflective textures—march below them. The piece hints at the virtual world’s increasing influences on both a macro and micro scale in our highly globalised and digitalised society, and how this will dominate the survival order in the new Internet era.
Keiken
‘U-Mi Water Warrior’ by Keiken
Tell us about your journey in the NFT space—when did you hear about NFTs and what made you decide to mint your creations for sale as NFTs?
We have always worked with new technologies so the transition to NFTs and the metaverse was one that came very organically to us. We got to know about the space from friends on Clubhouse and we launched our first NFT drop in Decentraland in April 2021 for Koenig Galerie’s ‘The Artist is Online’ exhibition.
What does ‘Every Body’ mean to you?
When we think of the body, we think of the diversity and multiplicity associated with them. For us, body positivity is the way of viewing and accepting that the body is in a constant state of change.
Tell us about the pieces you have created for Vogue Singapore.
The two NFTs created for Vogue Singapore are based on our character ‘U-Mi Water Warrior’. The shape-shifting nature of her clothes reflects the way the moon ‘melts’ to create sunrise in the morning. It is a symbol of the fluidity and transformation that takes place here in the metaverse. We see avatars as integral beings in the metaverse. These avatars will act as shells to protect our spirit and house our consciousness in the digital realm. One of the artworks, is a collectible NFT pack that allows users to have a fully-rigged avatar in multiple forms. Collectors can edit and disseminate their avatar in the metaverse and within games.
Join the NFT auction on OpenSea
To take part in the auction, here’s what to do:
- Create a crypto wallet using one of OpenSea’s supported platforms
- Deposit cryptocurrency into your wallet
- Connect your wallet to OpenSea
- At 8PM SGT (8AM EST) on May 5, login to OpenSea for Vogue Singapore’s exclusive NFT auction
- Click on one of our available artworks to bid or purchase
- Revel in the pleasure of owning a piece of NFT art created exclusively for Vogue Singapore
- Then add on to your collection by checking out the other ‘Every Body’ NFTs on offer
This limited edition NFT collection will be available on OpenSea from 5 May, 8PM SGT (8AM EST) to 10 May, 10AM SGT (9 May, 10PM EST). To find out more about OpenSea and the NFT space, join in a Twitter Spaces conversation hosted by David Cash and OpenSea on 25 April, 8PM SGT (8AM EST).
All Vogue readers will enjoy early access to preview and reserve your NFT from the ‘Every Body’ collection. Complete this form to register your interest.
