Jun 24•5 min read
A chat with... Grace Hye
This is not a transcription as such, rather it is summary of the chat we had a few days ago with an exceptional creator of NFTs. You can read this post in Spanish and hear the conversation in French in the original Podcast, here.
Our interview is in French, the language we are happy to share with Grace, this extraordinary South Korean established in Paris, where she works in her studio and also has her own gallery. At her gallery, we can appreciate the different media of artistic expression she likes to use, from ink on paper to fashion and even ceramics. And today we are going to discover her NFTs.
Our conversation is exciting because we talk about Art with a very sensitive artist.
Art in her life
Grace starts telling us that Art is an integral part of her life.
She considers the creative processes in nature as a source of inspiration for her own process of research she likes to push to its limits, to find what sometimes escapes us and also to be able to present the world under a different light.
She also likes visiting Parisian galleries and even collect some interesting pieces, sometimes even from artists showcasing their pieces along with Grace's.
Technology as an essential medium
When I ask Grace about her relationship with technology, she first tells me how important it is for her to keep in contact with her family in Korea. It is pretty clear for her that technology is an essential tool for human connection. She also mentions her concern with pollution and how technology can help, and how she got interested in apps used for re-sales.
As a favourite app on the web3, she mentions NeoSwap, which enables the exchange of NFTs and has a very active community on Discord.
Web3 , the Internet of Value, as an opportunity
So, how did an artist like Grace Hye discovered blockchain? It was during the Covid confinement, when her gallery remained closed, when she discovered the possibility of working in a little project of NFTs numbered and liked to some of her physical art pieces. When she knew about Stacks she sold out a first collection, and she discovered the power of getting her art to clients globally, beyond the clients in her Parisian gallery.
Not everyone sees the opportunity of making business with blockchain tech among professional artists. This is why I think the experience Grace is sharing here is especially inspiring. Grace tells about that artists who understand the tules of the game, and keeps open and flexible to catch the opportunities without losing a bit of personality. She is a perfect example of an artistic personality that uses the web3 keeping the balance with her creative work in the physical world.
Sharing her creative process with her community
Moreover, we both comment that in the Stacks community, we feel supported and accompanied in a journey where we are all learning. The research and exploration spirit is fun and kind with newcomers. Starting your own community (usually on Discord) is necessary, but not as complicated as it may seem. In this sense, Grace is very grateful to the support received from The Mintery, the program at the Stacks Foundation for artists like her.
As Flower and Curator Collective commented before , Grace and I agree that the quality of the relationships that are built in such communities are of a different quality level, as they are based in actual interest in the creative process of an artists, or even around a common mission. The difference with social media 2.0, is that these are based on the number of followers and reactions, while on web3 communities they are based in the quality of exchanges between members be it in conversations or for collaborations... Grace mentions, for example, how she asks to the members of her community on Discord for participation in some decisions, even for quite specific matters, like her recent collaboration with Boombox.
Present project: YOUR BLACK FLOWERS
“Your Black Flowers” is the collection Grace Hye is working on right now, and it is starting the pre-mint on Monday, June 27.
June 22nd 2022 -> https://twitter.com/GRACEHYE1/status/1539704027335778305
This is a collection of 50 pieces that she has been preparing in the last months for a launch which is part of a Roadmap that she has been sharing with her community on Discord, where you can know more and keep track of every step on the way. Moreover, and naturally after all Grace has told us today, in this project the physical and the digital worlds talk to each other. And, as the final original world was burnt in a special event to live only on the blockchain, there are 50 digital files and some other related physical items (a ceramic, a necklace...) that will be sent to some buyers of pre-selected NFTs. These “Black Flowers” were originally made with ink on paper and they look to help us stop and turn our view to our Innerverse, that interior world she even wants to bring to the Metaverse.
Know more about Grace Hye
Here are some links to know more about grace and her amazing world:
Before our farewell , Grace invites us to visit her at her Gallerie Nouvelle when you come to Paris, just to keep talking about Art. That would be wonderful!
Thank you very much indeed, Grace, for this beautiful time we have shared!
Georgina Mauriño
PS. If you want to make possible a better future for independent artists on web3, join our community, and join us on Discord!
