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In 2021, a new creator economy was born on the blockchain. Since NFTs took center stage, artists have achieved NFT superstardom<\/a>, billion-dollar brands<\/a> have been forged in just a few months, and lives have been utterly transformed<\/a> time and again. Yet, the most inspiring thing about the NFT space is the number of artists of all creeds and mediums who have found community and support by embracing this technology.<\/p>\n In keeping with our mission to empower creators, we present Next Up<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 our monthly franchise dedicated to showcasing rising artists. Although the NFT space has changed significantly over the last few years, one thing has remained true: the sheer volume of creative talent in Web3 only continues to grow. In our May edition, we\u2019ve curated a list of five ascendant talents who have been making significant waves throughout Web3.<\/p>\n Aaron Ricketts<\/a> is a photographer and creative director based out of Philadelphia who is passionate about creating captivating images. His unique multimedia works showcase his prowess for experimenting with concepts and imbuing them into his subjects. Ricketts has accumulated a wealth of accolades over the years through his work with Netflix, Universal Pictures, Focus Features, and more. In the NFT space, he has become known as a purveyor of fine art photography<\/a> and a creator of surrealist Black imagery.<\/p>\n Eamon Bonner<\/a>, often known simply as Eamon, is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker based in New York. Specializing in landscape photography, Bonner carries his passion for the outdoors into his works, often capturing fleeting moments in nature through digital and analog photography. In his professional career, he splits his time between producing short-form content for brands and guiding photography expeditions. Bonnar has become known in Web3 thanks to his uninhibited creativity and unique artistic approach.<\/p>\n Four, sometimes called We Are The Four<\/a>, is an enigmatic digital and conceptual artist who seeks to tell stories through their unique imagery. Although Four\u2019s work spans illustration, animation, and photography, the scarf motifs in their multimedia works have become a distinctive staple of their Web3 output, leading to their notoriety in the NFT space. Four has said that the To The Scarf series<\/a> seeks to represent the navigation of humans toward different phases of reality.<\/p>\n Gabe Weis<\/a> is San Francisco-based painter, illustrator, and mixed media artist known for projects such as The Stoics<\/a> and Conscious Lines<\/a>. His self-taught style, which he says is inspired by street art and stoic philosophy, often focuses on abstract humanoid characters and has been described by him as \u201cstream of consciousness meets cubism.\u201d To date, his works have been exhibited internationally many times over, but seemingly his major claim to fame in the NFT space \u2014 in addition to his unique collections and 1\/1s \u2014 is his commitment to sustainability and collaboration.<\/p>\nAaron Ricketts<\/h2>\n
Eamon<\/h2>\n
Four<\/h2>\n
Gabe Weis<\/h2>\n
Isa Rus<\/h2>\n