🏢 Ismahelio is Mixing Architecture, Geometry and Code in His NFT Art

Learn more about Ismahelio, the creator of Non-Spaces

Mar 14

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This article is part of the #30NFTArtists30days series, where I write a daily newsletter edition about a different NFT creator during March 2022. Consider getting a premium subscription to support my writing journey ✌️

Today’s NFT artist is a Spanish architect who has been working in the tech industry for many years. He likes to use the term "ARTchitecture” to indicate the inspiration behind his NFT art. Until now, his most famous work is called Non Spaces (I mentioned it previously in Yazid’s article), which comes with an evolutive component that made it stand out. “The token tracks its inception date. Every new day, trees, bushes, and vegetation will start to grow. Come back to see your Non Space evolve.”

It was widely popular among collectors and has commanded an impressive 13.5k Tezos in total volume (close to $50k), and the cheapest available in the market is listed for 85 Tezos (around $300).

How did you discover NFTs?

NFTs are my perfect match. On the one hand, creativity and sketching have always been part of me; as a kid, I couldn’t go anywhere without my sketchbook that evolved into generative creations over the years, but I was not sharing them outside my circle. I didn’t have a reason to do it. On the other hand, I believe in the concept of blockchain and decentralization; a couple of years ago I dived into it: I started learning how to program smart contracts, using dapps and of course understanding the meaning of NFTs.
Last summer was a turning point; I moved countries and jobs, ready to embrace new challenges. I saw a bunch of artists I follow posting their pieces on HEN, and I decided to give it a try; five minutes later, somebody bought my first piece: Andreas Rau.
Rolling out the beginning of an exciting journey!

Can you tell me a bit about your creation process?

As you might know, I am an architect focused on computational design and strongly influenced by geometry. I follow a similar approach when creating NFTs or designing architecture. Still, with NFTs, I don't have a client briefing, so I have complete freedom. I always use an idea to start sketching a bunch of papers, although sometimes I don't even know where it is going or how it will translate into code. Once I find something engaging, I start coding and testing it to get a prototype.
I go generative, create hundreds of outcomes, study them, go back to paper, and code again. It's an iterative technique, pivoting constantly.

Who are your favorite NFT artists, and why?

Most of the artists I follow are minting mostly on tezos. To name a few:
Architecture related, for the originality and how they breathe architecture through visual art: Erick Swahn (@erikswahn) , Jacek Markusiewicz (@jMarkusiewicz), and Mari K (@MadMaraca).
Reza Afshar (@rezaafsharr), Goldcat (@OriginalGoldCat), and Bjorn Calleja (@bjorncalleja). For how they adapt the analog way of painting to a digital medium.
Because they engage with the community with a unique style and their special way of forward-thinking: ThiIsARobot (@Thisisarobot2) and Synesthesia (@SynesthesiaART)
Masters of AI art: Jenni Pasanen (@PasanenJenni) and Ganbrood (@ganbrood)
William Mapan (@williamapan) is a source of inspiration when speaking about art from code…
There are so many other geniuses in this amazing field called generative art.

What inspired the Non Spaces collection?

After a few creations like my postcards or wandering line series, I wanted to shift into figurative pieces without abandoning my abstract work, and Non-Spaces was the perfect fit. It gave me the opportunity to sketch elevations of impossible buildings into code through a minimalistic style, but also added an evolutive feature and let me play with the digital & physical combination.
I am very proud of this work and humbled by its reception. I feel deeply thankful to all the people, from artists to collectors, that have supported me.