Exploring NFT Art On Tezos (Part 11) – Crypto Legends

An Introduction To The Crypto Legends Interview

The internet has broadened our horizon, so to speak, exposing us to cultures and experiences from around the world that were previously beyond our reach.The rise of blockchain technology and NFTs is driving innovation and creativity to new heights, generating potent and immersive experiences that are only limited by imagination.We are on the precipice of an internet blockchain-based upgrade that will provide practically unlimited opportunities for artists to create and share cultural, historical and perhaps even spiritual experiences.  

The commoditization of imagination through NFTs is supporting and incentivizing a wide-open creative revolution that may well lead us to the technological Renaissance we have long envisioned.

It is in this context that I introduce Exploring NFT Art on Tezos Part 11, Crypto Legends, a breathtaking new series created by the Brazilian artist Renancio Monte (@RenancioM).Crypto Legends is a beautiful and exotic NFT series built on the Hicetnunc platform portraying some strangely alluring characters straight from the rich folk tales of Brazil and South America. Most of these creations are completely unique, having deep cultural/historical roots in Brazilian and Indigenous South American culture.

Complete with movement, background and sound effects, these finely crafted creatures come to life to tell a tale that is steeped in centuries of South American culture and tradition.Each creation comes with a rich and detailed description that provides some historical and cultural context for these mesmerizing mythological beings. Additionally, each creature comes complete with a set of statistics measuring a variety of unique traits such as attack and defense strength that will be familiar to card game collectors and gamers.

Crypto Legends are mysterious, haunting, compelling and thoroughly captivating. The collection is visually appealing and entertaining, but it has additional significance.  On a more profound level, it is an effort to embrace, share and preserve cultural heritage through the preservation of mythological heroes and monsters.

Do yourself a favor and browse through the Crypto Legends objkt.com page to see for yourself. This collection is an absolute treasure trove of historical and cultural Brazilian legends.

Thank you for taking the time to discuss your work. We are all looking forward to meeting the artist behind his Crypto Legends creations.

The purpose of this series of articles is to help the Tezos community better understand NFT artists like you. Please tell me about yourself and your art. What inspired you to create Crypto Legends?

I have been a digital artist for almost 10 years, and I’ve always been fascinated with my home and culture. I believe that by drawing artistic inspiration from this setting inspires an authenticity that resonates with others. To create Crypto Legends I researched the inexhaustible source, the place where I live.

Why did you decide to mint your creations at Tezos with Hicetnunc?

In Brazil, in the interior of the Northeast region, where I live, the opportunities to work with art are still very limited, so investing in a marketplace where fees were almost 0 was the most viable alternative. For me, spending $300/$500 to publish a work was not practical, especially when my work was less well known. Minting Crypto Legends on Ethereum would have been cost prohibitive.

What are some of the things that you like most about Tezos and Hicetnunc.

Tezos and its minimal fees combined with Hicetnunc make us value art more than money, and I will always find this sensational, because 98% of people who like my work and collect, always argue about the quality of the work and never the so much so that he had to pay for it.

Crypto Legends has a strong mythological theme that is quite unique and specific to South America, particularly to Brazil. Tell me about your project, including some of your goals and plans.

Crypto Legends was born out of the need to try to be a little different in the fast-evolving NFT environment where it is difficult to attract and maintain attention. I drew upon my childhood and recalled many of the stories that our parents told to scare us.

Brazil is a very culturally rich country, and you can hear several stories in several different versions, from north to south. When I came across the infinite source of research I didn’t think twice before starting this series. I spent many sleepless nights creating this series, but I’m very glad that I did.

Eventually, I would like these objkts to be used for more than collecting and investing.  I’d like to be able to play with them and duel with other collectors, like a good old-fashioned card game that I played as a kid. That would make perfect sense for the work. I imagine a system dedicated just for that, but my resources are limited, so I’m taking it slow, but I’m confident that we will bring this vision to life.

You mention the “infinite source”. Please expand on this concept.

The infinite source that I refer to is the place where I live, my home. I grew up hearing the stories that inspired Crypto Legends and still live with them. I always have access; I always listen to them, and I never lack a story to tell.

How do you envision the future of NFTs and how do you see yourself as part of that future?

I imagine an increasingly promising future for those who like and need to make a living from art. NFTs have changed my life and if all this pace continues, I will accomplish my biggest life goals in a few months, and that is better than I could have imagined.

Platforms will become more accessible and will vastly expand the options available to artists that were previously unable to share their work. I see myself bringing more and more people to this NFT universe, especially my companions here in my region.  

It is important to me and other artists that I know to feel that our art always speaks before any value.