Struggling South African Twin Sis Artists Find Hope in Crypto Art, Bagging Showcase in a New York NFT Gallery
- Grace and Christine Gratine are twin sisters who have put Mzansi on the global digital and NFT art map
- The girls found hope through the digital art market at a time when they were about to give up, and now have a showcase in New York City
- Admitting that it is hard out there for artists, they told those trying to get their break to keep going and to network hard
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Times are changing, and these young South African artists have put Mzansi on the map in the digital and NFT art sector. Everything is going digital, even art, and while some fear the technological change, the Gratine twins have found hope within it.
Source: UGC
Some believe that NFT, a 'non-fungible token', and Cryptocurrencies are the future currency. With technology evolving rapidly, artists Grace and Christine Gratine knew they had to adapt to it or get left behind.
Briefly News got to hear the story of these talented twin artists, and how they managed to get their artwork in a NFT showcase in New York City!
The twins find hope in the NFT art market at a time when they are about to give up
Born in Evander, Mpumalanga and raised in Westonaria, Johannesburg, the twins never dreamed of being internationally showcased artists.
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Raised by humble entrepreneur parents, the girls went on to study business-based degrees - Grace studied HR and Christine studied Business Management.
However, the twins always knew they were passionate about the arts, as they started to draw from the early age of 10.
Grace and Christine established themselves as artists following their dreams, but it was not easy. Despite being incredibly passionate and talented, the girls struggled to get the break they needed to pursue a career in the arts.
It was then they found a gap in the digital arts and saw a glimmer of hope.
“We were on the verge of giving up on art, as we saw no future for it.
"Being torn between a rock and a hard place trying to find ourselves when all else wasn't working, anxiety crept in, but we found ourselves holding onto our hopes and dreams.
"We pivoted with a newly found purpose into digital art as our creative outlet.”
Grace and Christine dive into the digital NFT art market
The twins explained that the digital arts field is a new concept in Mzansi that is quickly evolving.
It's growing and giving artists a new and exciting platform to showcase their talent. Everything is evolving with technology, even art. You must evolve with it, or you’ll be left behind.
They gave an explanation of the new art form and how they are making a living off of it:
“An NFT/Crypto artist creates digital art and sells it using blockchain technology to authenticate its uniqueness and ownership. It is then sold digitally to collectors and investors as an NFT."
“An NFT (non-fungible token) is a digital asset, that could be photos, videos, text and audio files or other digital format that is unique and can't be replaced.”
It is a delicate process that takes an elevated level of creativity and technological understanding.
Pieces sell for the equivalent of R847, and the twins are using their art to start a movement which is empowering artists from different backgrounds.
“After creating the artwork we then mint (list/upload) it and sell it on an online marketplace platform that uses cryptocurrency.
"On average, our NFTs sell for 0.025 eth/$46 (R847). Our collection comes with a utility that is to join our movement called Black Signatures, where we gather our fellow warriors to embrace their uniqueness and achieve great things.”
NFT.NYC – the NFT showcase the twins bagged in New York City
With the digital art space and NFT market being a very grey area in SA, Briefly News asked the twins to explain what this all means and what it means to have their work displayed at this NFT.NYC event.
“NFT.NYC is a leading annual conference and expo dedicated to the NFT industry in New York City.
"The event brings artists, collectors, investors, entrepreneurs and other industry experts together to share insights and experiences about the emerging NFT market.
“Having our work exhibited at NFT.NYC is an honour and a valuable stepping stone for us as we are looking to establish ourselves in the NFT market.
"It can also help us build our reputation and credibility in the NFT space, which can lead to more opportunities for future exhibitions, collaborations and sales.”
The collection that they will be showcasing at this event is the collection that the twins believe will tell their story and be the collection that makes their names in the digital art sphere.
“In 2020, we conceptualised the idea of infusing gold with art and trading it as an asset, and later were captivated by the potential of combining art, tech, and crypto to create unique digital assets.
"This collection has laid the foundation for our new journey.
“We want to celebrate the power of digital art and showcase how it has opened up new opportunities for artists like us.”
Struggles faced by up-and-coming digital artists in Mzansi, and advice the twins have for them
It is not easy to make your mark, especially as little help is given to up-and-coming digital artists in Mzansi. The twins have been given a space to showcase their work on a digital billboard in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.
The Art in The Sky, in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture, the National Arts Council and the Presidential Employment Stimulus offered a helping hand, but the twins have not been given much other assistance.
They believe that networking is the best way for any artist to make it, and they gave a few tips to those out there who are trying.
“Gathering a community and buyers are the biggest challenges. We have joined Livespace - an accelerator program, to assist us with that and in unlocking other opportunities within the creator economy."
“Know that there is power in social media as well. Tagging and DMs work wonders if you are looking to connect with big names, which was our strategy starting out, gaining ourselves recognition from the likes of Tyra Banks, Pearl Thusi and most recently Nandi Madida. This will give you a boost, but what you do with that afterwards is up to you.”
Talented artist showed off his drawings of some of Mzansi's popular celebs, SA stans: “Wow! Excellent indeed”
In related news, Briefly News reported that a gifted artist won over new fans on the socials after he showed off his drawings of some of Mzansi's super popular celebs.
Hudson Mushaninga is the man behind the sketches and also has an extensive portfolio of other pieces involving pens shown on his Hudsxn Art page. Briefly News shared some of his work on Facebook, highlighting just how immaculate the detail is in the drawings.
The gifted gent has been busy with his craft for years, having some drawings dating back to parts of 2021. The outcome he aims for when sketching is based on photorealism, which involves insane amounts of detail when drawing. It's also difficult to master.
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Source: Briefly News
