The Concrete Park Bangers: Representation Matters in NFTs
Micah Johnson, Nyla Hayes, Cory Van Lew, Diana Sinclair, Osinachi, Owo, artists that have all become household names in the digital NFT space. Each of these artists dove into the NFT space head-on and succeeded in bringing their unique visions to life. Whether their works originated on paper, canvas, or tablet, each artist stayed true to their heritage and dreams. Each is also a black artist who has not only captivated the NFT world with their creativity but they’ve dug into their essence, and backgrounds to create art that means something.
These artists transcended the craze of pfp pictures and good ol’ NFT flipping by staying true to their dreams, backgrounds, and beliefs in their art. By representing black and brown people in their work. By telling stories that are often overlooked and undervalued. It’s art like this that truly stands out from the thousands of pieces that hit the blockchain each day. One of the upcoming projects that I believe holds these same genuine elements is a project we’re dropping on Curio called, Concrete Park.
The Concrete Park Bangers™ NFT Collection is a generative art project based on an award-winning graphic, sci-fi, novel series – Concrete Park™. Co-Created by Hollywood Star, Erika Alexander & Trailblazing Writer, Tony Puryear, Concrete Park tells a story of young human exiles on a distant, desert planet. Stemming from real-world rejection, They live, love, fight and die in a lawless town called Scare City.
There they must decide if they will build a new world and rise above the violence and tribalism they left behind on Earth, or if they will be destroyed by it. Shot through with hope and courage in the darkest of circumstances, Concrete Park is a story for now because it speaks to today’s struggles— of everyday people from diverse backgrounds fighting to not only survive but thrive in a society that consistently sidelines them. Consistently having to recreate themselves to exist in this world, simply because society does not accept nor appreciate how they were made.
Concrete Park co-creator Tony Puryear noted “Bangers is a stew of different colors, ethnicities, and body sizes. Each is unique; possessing unique traits that contribute to his or her rarity; each is affiliated with one of the seven major gangs of Scare City.”
Afrofuturism, Sci-Fi and NFTs have combined to tell a story that is not only inspired by real-world events but also tells a story of hope in the future. This story is another step forward in the NFT space. The intentionality & creativity of artists like Erika & Tony will aid to propel our industry forward.
So, why is representation in NFTs important?
It’s because NFTs and blockchain as a whole were created to level the playing field. To provide direct access to commerce, art, and currency for every person. It’s our job as builders to make sure the future is representative of us all.
If you are interested in learning more about Concrete Park, join the community on Discord or follow on Twitter. The official drop is taking place on September 28th at 12PT on Curio.
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