ANESTI DHIMA
“We’re still exploring utility and if it really matters beyond the art.”
Anesti Dhima, under the pseudonym The Alchemist, has become a prolific collector of over a thousand pieces since his introduction to NFTs back in 2020. Having discovered NFTs through the crypto finance community, Anesti was initially intrigued by the investment potential, but it was the aesthetic innovation and the technology behind NFTs that drew him in completely. His interest grew as he learned more about NFTs, how they are transacted and transferred on blockchain, and about ownership and the artists themselves.
Many of the NFTs in his collection are worth less today than when he acquired them, “so you really have to find value in the art, the community and the learnings.” He says: “We’re still exploring the concept of utility and if it really matters beyond the art.”
Collecting also sparked a creative side to Anesti that he is still exploring. “NFTs triggered my own creative journey,” he says. “I never drew or took pictures, and it was the interaction with the creatives I was discovering that got me inspired to change the way I view the world and to encourage me to create.”
Anesti is a rare kind of artist, working in infrared and drone photography in an expanding digital space. Using certain filters and lenses that only allow particular light in from the spectrum, his pictures reveal what we don’t see with the naked eye.
Having found this new creative path, Anesti has seen where NFTs come into play in a new creative renaissance that promises renewed purpose for people. He sees technology as an enabling medium, creating a bridge for non-traditional creative people who don’t have the tools or the means to find new ways of expressing themselves.
But it is his role as an experienced collector that Anesti is developing, sharing his experience and knowledge with new entrants into the market. In a recent collaborative venture, he helped create an organization called the Art Asylum, an incubator that brings new people in and helps them grow in the NFT space, providing guidance, evaluating strategies, and helping them make connections and introductions. Anesti is both an active member of the group and a board member.
“It’s not just about how can I take, but how can I contribute as an artist and as an advisor,” he says.
Enter the collector advisor.
