“Makers of Magic” Art on Blockchain Series
“Makers of Magic” Art on Blockchain Series
After working at the intersection of art and technology in the startup world for the last 15 years, I’ve learned the key qualities for success: imagination, Resilience, Strength, Courage, Creativity, Magic, and Luck. This inspired me to create this digital art collection on the blockchain, “Makers of Magic,” which embodies what I see as the seven vital qualities above of creators, artists, startup founders, and makers of all kinds.
10/10 Pegasus Art (SOLD OUT)
The winged lion, a mythical creature resembling a lion with bird-like wings, is a recurring motif in Ancient and Medieval civilizations. One notable depiction is the Lion of Saint Mark, which symbolizes Saint Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of Venice. This majestic creature embodies qualities of Courage and Power, serving as an enduring symbol of strength and resilience throughout history.
46/46 Wing Lion Art (SOLD OUT)
3. Griffin: Strength
The Griffin is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. It represents strength, courage, and wisdom in Greek mythology. They were also believed to hoard and protect gold, according to stories from the Silk Road, as Pliny the Elder wrote, “griffins were said to lay eggs in burrows on the ground and these nests contained gold nuggets.”
40/40 Griffin Art (SOLD OUT)
The Phoenix symbolizes resilience, strength, and transformation, as it can rise from its ashes to greater heights. The Phoenix is also a global cultural symbol. Its message is She Who Rises from the Ashes to Recreate. Whether in Arabic poetry, Greco-Roman culture, or even much of the East’s historical legacy. It has been found in cultures’ mythologies, including Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Hindus, Phoenicians, Mesoamericans, Native Americans, and more. In the Chinese culture I grew up with, the Phoenix (凤凰 Feng Huang ) doesn’t just symbolize the highest virtue, strength, or prosperity. It also represents the yin and yang, which are the duality that shapes the whole existence of the universe.
13/13 Phoenix Art (SOLD OUT)
Unicorns have represented life and joy in many different cultures over time. The Chinese, Greeks, Persians, and many others refer to similar creatures bearing a single horn and magical powers, though sometimes under a different name, like Qilin (麒麟), the Chinese Unicorn. The unicorn represents purity, freedom, gentleness, virginity, innocence, divinity, and magic. Seeing unicorns in dreams is inevitably a sign of good luck, happiness, and a positive omen. Now, unicorns have a new symbolic meaning: they are start-ups valued at a minimum of one billion dollars.
19/19 Unicorn Art (SOLD OUT)
The hippocampus is often regarded as a symbol of creativity and hope since it is a benevolent and spiritual creature that helps people. In Greek mythology, hippocampi were sea monsters, similar to aquatic horses, with the head and front legs of a horse but the winding tail of a fish or dolphin. Poseidon, God of the Sea, was carried across the oceans in a chariot pulled by hippocampi, who sometimes took him out of the water. As a mythical creature, it’s strongly associated with creativity and imagination. Sailors regarded the hippocampus as a good omen and a symbol of agility and strength.
5/5 Hippocampus Art (SOLD OUT)
The Golden Unicorn was inspired by the historical Gold Rush in California and the Startup Community.
This Golden Unicorn piece is particularly significant to me as a Chinese-American who lives in San Francisco. Chinese people historically referred to California as Gold Mountain, as evidenced by maps and returned-overseas Chinese. However, as a gold rush subsequently occurred in Bendigo, Australia, the then-colony of Victoria was referred to as “New Gold Mountain” (新金山), and California became known as Old Gold Mountain. San Francisco’s Chinese name translates to “Old Gold Mountain” (Simplified Chinese: 旧金山; traditional Chinese: 舊金山).
Also, as an artist working in the startup world for the last 12 years, I have always wanted to capture the spirit of entrepreneurship in a visual form. A unicorn is a term in business that indicates a privately held startup company valued at over $1 billion. Venture capitalist Aileen Lee coined the term in 2013, choosing the mythical animal to represent the statistical rarity of such successful ventures.
This piece is my tribute to people and the spirit of those in the past who immigrated to San Francisco and California to find gold for a better future and celebrate the people and spirit of entrepreneurship and startups today, creating digital gold in the metaverse as the Makers of Magic! 🪄🦄
View the entire collection from Makers Place.
