Unknown Collector
Becoming Known In Web3
“You should be free to create what you want.”
A pillar of the NFT community, Unknown Collector has played a pivotal role in guiding and spotlighting the work of many digital artists; and asks for little in return.
“As I started collecting art, and getting more invested, I thought, ‘if I can’t talk about it with anybody, if I cannot support the artist, then what is this all worth?’ So I started my Twitter account and made it about the artists,” he shares. “I wanted to create an environment where they feel comfortable to be in and feel free to create what they want to.” Now, Unknown Collector has 50,000 followers on that Blue Bird app.
As influential as Unknown Collector is, building a career around art was never in the picture. Having studied Psychology at university and showing little interest in art, the act of looking for a present led him to the NFT space. Although, this was a happy mistake waiting to happen.
“I started wanting to understand what it was all about,” he explains. “I started researching and browsing, and I bought random stuff and burned a lot of money, but it was the start of my passion for art.”
As Unknown Collector started to discover more about this mysterious digital world, it wasn’t long before he became entranced by the unprecedented benefits it can have on society. “This is something revolutionary; that you can prove ownership and provenance of digital goods, information, etc., without the possibility to falsify it,” he says. “I was also so fascinated by how presenting digital art in this environment could scale seeing and being surrounded by art all around the world without having to be privileged to live close to the big museums and galleries. When I talk about this space, I’m very passionate because I think it’s a big opportunity for artists all over the world.”
As Unknown Collector started to become more invested in web3, as well as offering a spotlight and support for artists, it sparked the need for a creative outlet. This came in the form of his own collection of AI art.
“Art should be free. You should be free to create what you want. So, it’s also something super interesting for me that AI can open the doors for people to be creative and release some negativity or positivity. I’m very thankful that through AI I have the opportunity to explore my artistic ideas and concepts and to enter the world of creating.”