DeeKay Kwon is a US based digital artist from South Korea. Following a 10-year motion designer career, working for companies such as Apple and Google, he discovered NFTs in 2021. His art quickly gained popularity among NFT collectors and in April 2022 DeeKay reached an all-time high, selling his piece ‘Life and Death’ for 310 ETH.
Could you tell us about your story and how you got introduced to the NFT space?
I was first introduced to NFT by an artist friend who already took a step into the NFT world. I had zero knowledge of NFT or crypto in general, but the fact that I could sell the digital art I have been creating for the past 10 years gave me considerable interest. Then it was just a deep dive into a rabbit hole, and I learned that there's so much more about this web3 than just making money. It feels like I am having a little peak at the future.
What inspired you to start creating NFTs?
I've been making digital art with zero goals, and it was purely for fun and to express myself. And by doing that, I was able to grow an audience. The likes and comments from the people who are interested in my art, that was all I needed to keep this going. And doing an NFT was just another step to take for me to expand my brand and share my art.
What was the first NFT you created?
'Skateboard Rides You', a 1/1, was my first NFT, minted on Foundation.
Which tools do you use to create?
I use Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects.
What are your biggest influences or sources of inspiration?
The source of inspiration continuously varies but looking at passionate people always gives me a massive boost of inspiration. Whatever they're creating with passion, it makes me wanna be passionate too
What has been the most rewarding part of being involved in the NFT space?
Just the fact that I can be stable financially gives me so much more freedom with my time and my creativity when making art. Also, the fact that I can connect with collectors who are very much into my art and can be friends with them, it's a wholesome experience
What advice would you give to someone starting out as a creator within the NFT space?
Try to think less about how much you're going to make. The priority and main focus always have to be the art. If you have created something you're very proud of and have enjoyed the process so much, the outcome should never matter. Enjoy making the art and be consistent. Success will follow naturally when you're ready.
How do you cultivate a relationship with collectors?
I think of my collectors as friends and will try to keep in touch with them often. They're all just regular humans genuinely interested in art and love to talk about them.
What do you think are the biggest opportunities within the NFT space in the coming 5 years? Culturally, artistically and financially?
I can never see the future, but web3 will be the norm, and people will make that transition slowly without even realizing it. One thing I know for sure is that the art industry will change forever. Artists no longer have to follow in other artists' footsteps to get a stable job at corporates. They no longer have to force their creativity on corporate style, they can create whatever the heck they want and create their path in web3
As a creator, is there something that you feel is missing in the current NFT space?
There's a huge gap between artists who do NFTs and artists that are against NFTs. It's sad to see the art community, in general, being divided. I'd love to see all those art become one and understand each other.
What’s the best piece of advice you have been given?
It's nice to be important, more important to be nice.
DeeKay and his works can be found via the following links:
- Website: deekaykwon.com/
- SuperRare: superrare.com/deekaymotion
- Foundation: foundation.app/@deekaymotion
- Noble Gallery: noblegallery.com/cards/let-s-play-deekay
- Twitter: twitter.com/deekaymotion
- Instagram: instagram.com/deekaymotion/
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