The world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is a fairly new realm unto itself. Exclusive ownership, the authenticity of an item, digital artworks, collectibles, real estate, music and even its own digital currency – understanding the NFT sphere means living within a virtual universe with its own set of dynamics and vibrant characteristics. step. And speaking of digital artworks and NFT collections, the top and most famous NFT artists around the world are constantly striving to bridge the gap between the virtual and real arenas and bring to life stunning artworks that evoke imagination while conveying powerful messages.
Gone are the days when one would visit a gallery to buy a unique piece of art and decorate it as their living room centerpiece. In today’s digital world, there are dedicated marketplaces and online galleries that house some of the most famous NFT collections for you to choose from and buy. Blockchain shaped and uniquely coded NFT art can range from rare doodles, cartoon characters, music, albums, videos or literally anything one fancies.
With NFT sales reaching billions of dollars, it has really changed the way one looks at investing. Easy cryptocurrency buying, an energy-efficient coin process, and a variety of NFT art can make you feel like a kid in a candy store.
In fact, some of the top rated NFT marketplaces have also provided an interactive platform to the NFT community, where both buyers and sellers can come together and chat, discover new emerging artists and explore digital art, just like how a person at the local gallery. OpenSea (the largest NFT market), SuperRare and Nifty Gateway are some of the best to visit.
The best part is that being an NFT artist has no age limit and one can also be anonymous. From a 19-year-old Fewocious to an 87-year-old José Delbo, the most famous NFT artists all have their own ways of expressing and creating.
If you’re ready to delve into the NFT world and want to know more about some of the top and most famous NFT artists, we’ve got you covered.
The most famous and best selling NFT artists in the world
PACK
Considered one of the most prolific and successful NFT artists, PAK also has some of the most expensive NFT collections under his belt. The anonymous artist formerly known as PAK Murat is quite active on social media and is the brain behind Archillect, the AI algorithm that helps you search the internet for images to post on social media handles.
In 2020, PAK released an NFT tipped Cloud Monument Dark on SuperRare which achieved 3.5 ETH or USD 788. Its highest income NFT Watch subscribed at a whopping amount of USD 20,232,912.15 which equates to approximately 16,593,059 ETH.
It has nothing to do with an actual clock, but is a digital count of the number of days WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been held in Belmarsh Prison. All proceeds from this NFT sale will go towards funding Assange’s legal battle.
In December 2021, PAK released the NFT art collection titled Add together on Nifty Gateway which sold for a record amount of USD 91.8 million and can be safely referred to as one of the most expensive collections in the NFT universe.
Beep
Mike Winkelmann, commonly known as Beeple, is one of the earliest digital art creators to enter the NFT zone. This graphic designer turned NFT artist is getting the highest applause for bringing mainstream attention and shining a spotlight on NFTs.
In March 2021, Beeple broke all records and topped the charts for selling the most expensive and famous NFT art. The piece, titled Everyday: The first 5000 days, took 13 years to make and is a collage of 5,000 small NFTs. It was the first of its kind to be sold by the famous auction house Christie’s at a whopping price of USD 69,346,250. His other works from the Every Days collection became a huge phenomenon and acted as an impulse for the NFT community.
Other well-known works by the talented artist include a plethora of objects and designs, ranging from whimsical giant flies buzzing around Mike Pence’s gladiator figure, regarding the 2020 US Vice Presidential debate, to a pixelated Mona Lisa. His works of art are both innovative and timeless, stimulating the imagination of the viewers.
Little
Don’t let Victor Langlois’ age fool you, because in the guise of a 19-year-old resides one of the most successful and groundbreaking crypto-art creators. His name is Fewocious and he has raised about USD 50 million through NFT art. As a prominent face of the queer NFT community, Fewocious is one of the most popular NFT artists with total sales of 3,189 NFTs.
His creation, Nice to meet you, I am mister misunderstoodbecame the highest selling digital art for auction house Sotheby’s when it was minted in September 2021. The piece depicts a brightly colored sobbing man surrounded by colorful clouds and flowers.
Fewocious broke his personal record in April 2022 by earning USD 20 million on Nifty Gateway with his Paint drop NFT collection as part of the creator’s upcoming generative art project — Fewoworld.
Fewocious brings the digital canvas to life with his whimsical and vibrant creative designs that are vivid, graphic and reminiscent of his oil paintings. Full of colorful images punctuated with monochrome spots, it’s an escape from his rough and abusive childhood to a more playful mindset.
XCopy
As one of the popular creators of digital art, XCopy has long made its presence felt as a brilliant NFT artist. No less than a well-known celebrity in this sphere, XCopy keeps his identity anonymous but is known to live in London.
His acquaintance Right click and Save As Guy NFT became a huge hit and was snapped up by rapper Snoop Dogg for a reported price of USD 7 million. The iconic NFT is a meme against digital-art critics who feel that this space is absolutely worthless and that online art can be saved and acquired with a click. In fact, this isn’t the first time the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” star has indulged in an XCopy creation. He also bought Some Asshole for a reported price of USD 3.9 million. It depicts a character in a suit and tie against a stark red background.
XCopy also got news for the Nifty Gateway collection Max pain which raised almost USD 23 million in just 10 minutes in March 2022. His digital art tends to lean towards the gory side and evokes a sense of a dark, macabre dystopian world.
Sneha Chakraborty
Sneha Chakraborty is an Indian muralist and street artist who has recently ventured into the NFT art sector and captured its pulse. Traditional Indian motifs, images of women and nomadic themes from around the country become her NFT muse. She mostly uses Wazir to drop her creations and even worked on an NFT display for them.
In 2021, she presented her NFT art—a collection of images of eight women Chakraborty met while traveling—at an exhibition titled Embers. She told Analytics India magazine, “The exhibition was a collaboration between the gallery, WazirX’s platform and me. It was the first exhibition of its kind to be conducted in India. (With the help of a friend) we added an extra AR layer to the story, showcasing the paintings to add an augmented reality layer.
As an NFT artist, Chakraborty believes there is still a long way to go and the community is at a very nascent stage.
Siraj Hassan
Siraj Hassan is one of the most famous names in the Indian NFT scene. The Chennai-based software engineer turned visual artist has stirred the digital air with his Caged NFT collection on the OpenSea market since abandoning it in January 2021.
The series was born from Hassan’s love for glass snow globes. The way snow globes bring a dreamy effect once stirred is a source of inspiration for the collection which also draws cues from nature, graphic designs, bold skull motifs and the spiritual state.
Besides being an engineer, Hassan is also a photographer and videographer who started using software like Adobe Photoshop images in 2014. In 2020, he started selling his works on the internet. As a keen interest in cryptocurrency grew in his mind, he began to learn more about NFTs before his release Caged.
snowfro
Erick Calderon, better known as Snowfro, is touted as one of the most famous NFT artists and digital art creators. He founded the generative art site Art Blocks in November 2020, and has since gained attention and fame like no other.
One item from his most famous NFT collection Chormie Squiggles sold for USD 8,129.59. Each piece from this collection is a digital chromatic blue squiggle with dark blue tints and features unique designs, absolutely different from each other. In fact, such a swirl design is now also the logo of Art Blocks. The site provides an interactive platform for artists and buyers and has also attracted the attention of the famous auction house Sotheby’s.
Having sold 7,718 NFT pieces, Snowfro was constantly looking to innovate and be at the top of his game.
Tylerxhobbs
Texas-based Tyler Hobbs is nothing short of a wizard when it comes to using coding and algorithms to create fantastic NFT art. As an NFT artist, Hobbs did not feel bound by the typical themes of portraits and landscapes and instead sought complete freedom as he infused programming with art and ushered in graphically designed patterns.
The most famous NFT collection to his credit is Fidenza, created in October 2021, which earned him $177 million. Hobbs is also known for his generative art and his other famous NFT collection Incomplete control, sold out for USD seven million even before it was officially dropped. Hobbs’ website mentions Incomplete control consists of “100 unique iterations produced from a single algorithm.” Created as NFTs via the Art Blocks platform, they deal with imperfections.
Dmitry Cherniak
He may have only sold 918 NFTs, but he truly deserves to be on the list of most famous NFT artists. As a young child, Cherniak enjoyed painting and sketching and as he grew, he developed a fondness for science and mathematics. This is evident from the NFTs he creates, which are a perfect amalgamation of the two.
Well known for his Ringers collection on the Art Blocks site, this NFT artist has a distinct and unique style. Abstract geometric patterns, primary colors and futuristic digital appeal characterize his works. To raise a staggering amount of USD 2,682,000, Self portrait #1 is his best selling NFT on SuperRare.
A popular name in the generative art circle, Cherniak has an eye for innovation that can evoke a sense of imagination and uniqueness in an automated work of art.
Karan Kalra
Karan Kalra is one of the most famous NFT artists of India. The trained illustrator, animator, storyteller, writer and painter is based out of New Delhi and has been in the crypto scene since 2016.
His digital art consists of odes to his hometown, a futuristic version of the INR 2000 bill and some flying cars. With a strong following, Kalra is quite a popular NFT creator and among those in the country’s first wave of NFT enthusiasm.
(Main Image: Nifty Gateway; @beeple/ Twitter; Featured Image @beeple/ Twitter)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Bangkok
