Welcome to “An NFT Evening With…” our weekly feature shining a spotlight on some of the community’s most talented NFT artists. This week we speak with Neon the creator of Neon Kabuki.
The Neon Kabuki collection is available on OpenSea. It features a treasury of unique NFTs merging the world of Ukiyo-e artworks with contemporary Neon compositions and colors. Ukiyo-e artwork refers to the Japanese paintings and woodblock prints depicting Edo Period “pleasure districts” celebrating the sensual side of life. Certainly, it’s fitting that neon colors merge with this style to evoke the lurid entertainments of places like Las Vegas, joining pleasures of the past and the present.
NFT Evening: Tell us your background and how you got started as an artist.
Neon: I have a background in Architecture, and studied Art in High School and University, with a Major in Architecture. I always loved to draw, paint and build. One of my hobbies is woodworking and I would love to integrate that someday with the NFT world. I worked many years as an Architect and decided to jump full time into NFTs with the Neon Kabuki Project.
NFTE: So, you started with physical art…How did you discover NFTs? Moreover, what made you want to create them?
Neon: At the start of 2021 I began investing Cryptocurrency. I did a lot of research on the different coins and ended up with a video talking about NFTs. My mind was 100% set on creating a collection from that point on. It just seemed like a perfect combination: Collecting art and investment. With time I understood that NFTs can be way more that that. NFTs can have many other uses and it’s a great new thing that will be part of our daily life in some way or another.
NFTE: Which do you prefer, traditional media or working with NFTs and computers?
Neon: I think I love them both in the same way. But these days I work way more with NFTs and computers due to the Neon Kabuki collection. Both have their own strengths.
NFTE: What are the origins of the Neon Kabuki idea? What are its influences?
Neon: I always loved Japanese culture in general but especially the traditional art. The ukiyo-e style / genre is my favorite by far. I love all the thousands of pieces I have researched. There is something truly special about them. So I had this idea of choosing some portraits of Kabuki actors to redo them and transform in a way to give them my own style and organize them in a collection. I thought it would be a cool way to bring more attention to this amazing world of Kabukis, woodblock prints and Ukiyo-e in general. A friend from our Discord server, 2ULUX5, put it the best. They said, “An artwork that was created many years ago, immortalized and reinterpreted by Neon using a modern art-style, minted on the blockchain to be appreciated, rediscovered and be used as a utility in the future.”
NFTE: Very apt indeed! What can you tell our readers about Neon Kabuki that they won’t discover at first glance?
Neon: At first glance you could just see the pieces as cool Japanese artworks. But I would urge your readers to visit our Discord server and look for the Kabuki Spotlight channel where we give more information on the history, artist and style of some of the artworks our pieces are based on.
NFTE: The Neon Kabuki art is striking with attention-grabbing animations. Have you experimented with this style before or was this project the first time?
Neon: I’ve never done anything like that before, maybe explaining why our animations are very simple. I wanted to add just a little something to the base image and the 2 frame animation seemed to work the best. The bright neon colors are a choice to differentiate the Neon Kabuki pieces from their original counterpart. It was a way of doing a tribute to the great masters of old, while making them in a “modern” style
NFTE: We’ve see you do some great collaborations as an active member of the NFT scene. Are there any artists or projects you draw inspiration from or you would like to recommend to our readers?
Neon: I love doing collaborations with other artist and still have many more pending. It is a great way of participating in the community. I follow many great artists, and I am inspired by them all. I love @PIGsDESTRXYER and @HamsterNFT because they create amazing and unique work.
NFTE: Thanks for the tips! What about your own favourites? Do you have a personal favorite Neon Kabuki image?
Neon: I love the latest set of Neon Kabuki Warriors because those very detailed pieces are a good representation of Utagawa Kuniyoshi. But, if I had to choose a favorite I would say Neon Kabuki #51 for its elegance and beauty.
NFTE: So, how much more can we expect from the Neon Kabuki project and what plans do you have for the future?
Neon: The collection has many works to be explored still and I am constantly working on them. Expect many more Neon Kabuki pieces in the future. There are also plans of creating a set of playing cards too.
NFTE: Exciting! Speaking of the future, where do you think NFTs are going as a whole and where do you see yourself in that future?
Neon: I see myself continuing in the NFT space for many years to come, I find it’s a wonderful place to meet amazing people and especially super talented artists that can create with the recognition they deserve. We’ll see a shift to big corporate adoption soon. But I hope we small and independent creators can have our own little corner in this space.
We really appreciate Neon for speaking to us! You can find his NFT art on instagram, twitter, and discord. Most importantly, check out the Neon Kabuki collection on OpenSea.
All investment/financial opinions expressed by NFTevening.com are not recommendations.
This article is educational material.
As always, make your own research prior to making any kind of investment.
