A Renaissance Resurgence. Introducing The Artist — 1dontknows
Many of those who first enter the NFT space do so through the profile picture (PFP) art format. They’ve heard about another record Crypto Punk sale and have decided it’s time for them to enter the fray.
An account is setup and some crypto deposited. Now begins the search for their first purchase; a shiny new PFP that fits their web3 persona. With a wallet full of ETH and a WAGMI attitude, the newcomer is full of expectation.
That is until, they fast realise there are thousands of PFP projects out there.
Which do I buy?
Who has the best team?
Why are these pixelated owls worth $30k?
The space can fast become overwhelming and often the best projects have high buy-in prices; which, represents a massive initial investment — especially for someone who’s new to the space.
So, where am I going with this?
Well, PFPs might be in-vogue, but dig a little deeper and you’d fast understand their is a whole other world on offer. Collectables, audio, video, event tickets, digital land and even domain names. All are assets you can purchase in the form of an NFT.
As is, art.
Or more specifically, 1/1 (one-of-ones).
Now, I know “art” is a wildly general term that could be applied to quite literally anything. Only recently, FEWOCiOUS was quoted in the Medici Minutes as considering the code in his generative project, art in its own right.
However, looking more specifically at paintings, photographs, prints or animations — all can be bought as NFTs.
It’s platforms like Super Rare or Foundation that have come to the forefront of this emerging sub-category within the market. These websites allow you to purchase artwork directly from the artists themselves.
I resonate with this journey mainly because it’s not too dissimilar to my own experience. And given this, I wanted to shed some light on artists I have found who are out there building their own body of work.
So, welcome to episode one of my “Artists In The Spotlight” Series.
Let’s get into it…
Artists In The Spotlight: 1dontknows
Browsing through Foundation is a brilliant way to find art you like, but there’s a plethora of work on show, and it doesn’t all suit my taste.
This, however, stopped my in my tracks.
It’s the work of a 25 year old based out of Bangkok, Thailand, who goes by the name of “1dontknows”.
After finding more of his work on Super Rare, I was an immediate fan and was desperate to find out more. So I reached out on Twitter to ask him a few questions about his art and creative process.
“I am inspired by surreal artists such as Salvador Dali, Hieronymus Bosch or René Magritte, these are my favourites artists.”
And given that, it is no surprise that his art resembles something more akin to old renaissance masterpieces — it’s a modern take on an artistic style that’s been with us hundreds of years.
“All of my works are digital art which I create on Photoshop. My work is inspired by a combination of classical art and anythings around me. Whether it’s movies, music, quotes, or even what I’ve encountered I’ll bring it into my work.”
What I loved most was the detail.
As I examined each piece I would continue to uncover small moments and hidden messages. He’s able to keep the pieces interesting, but without becoming cluttered — choosing to focus each around a key central figure and then building the scenes from the inside to out.
Each piece can take up to a week to complete, which given just how complex his work is, did not come as a surprise.
“The longest part of creating each piece is probably the little details that I like to put into my work. I will pay special attention to it. For small tattoos I want the characters in my work to be modern and contemporary. I like to put it as a quote or even the lyrics that I like also I put my name on it.”
And it’s this attention to detail that will help cement 1dontknows’ status as an up-and-coming NFT artist, one that I think you should be keeping an eye on.
He has recently chosen to focus full attention on his art, and this dedication has began paying dividends. When we first spoke, he’d just listed Carpe Diem, which in my opinion is one of his strongest pieces (see below).
Whilst I’ve research and written this piece, the bidding was unfolding. After an initial offer of ~1ETH Carpe Diem eventually sold for 2.3ETH ($7,056), a record figure for his work.
Having seen the sale, I immediately messaged to congratulate him on the sale, feeling an equal measure of delight and jealousy. I’d loved to owned Carpe Diem — the winning bidder has just picked up a beauty.
Digging deeper into the art itself, a style that carries across all his work, is the cut out faces. What was the story behind this?
“My work will also hide my story. As I told you, some of the works were inspired by the situation I encountered. And if you notice my character has a black face on it. I was inspired by nun without face and personally, I’m a shy person. So I thought that covering my face could also convey this.”
In a candid thread he shared earleir this year, he talks about the ups and downs that came with him starting out in graphic design and moving into his first job. Like many around the world, COVID turned his world upside down and he was made redundant in 2021.
“I think I have developed a lot in my skill and style. Also, my path in NFT is like a roller coaster. There are the best and the worst stories. The best thing was that I was able to become an artist on SuperRare and the worst thing was that I got scammed because that was all my savings at the time.”
1dontknows was originally inspired by the work of a foreign artist which opened his eyes to the world of digital collaging. It’s here that he started to cut his teeth on Photoshop and flex the creative muscles with a range of complex pieces.
It was not until he first discovered Surreal art that he realised his style would begin to focus in — in his eyes it was a “wow” moment.
“I have continued to improve my work. And I always enjoy coming up with new ideas. I feel it’s my passion. How do you know what is your passion? It’s only when you do something and you forget about the time.”
His pieces are the type of art I want to to see on a 10 meter wide ultra HD screen just so I can sit in front of it and absorb all its intricacies. Like a day at the V&A, MET or Musee d’Orsay — only this time with an NFT spin.
“And my NFT path still has to go on. Cause this is the path I’ve chosen even though I didn’t graduate in art, I believed in my passion.”
1dontknows is a humble, hard working artist that’s overflowing with potential. It’s a delight to be able to feature him as my first “Artist In The Spotlight”.
I do not own any of his work, but I will be keeping a close eye on his Foundation & Super Rare pages for future releases.
Please do consider giving him a follow on Twitter or, take a moment to check out his website.
About The Author: Jojo Regan
I am passionate about writing and cover stories that range from interviews with start-up founders, artists or the NFT market as a whole. I have no fixed agenda, and will always make it known if I have a vested interest in any of the things I write about. All statements are my own opinions.
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