Creator Community: Ari Hersch
“Creator Community” highlights some of the most interesting creators with collectibles available on the Crypto.com NFT platform.
Ari Hersch cannot be confined to a single medium; a self-taught artist who experiments with many formats, as well as a classically trained interior architect and designer, he constantly attempts to push the boundaries of his creative palette — and has recently been making a killing in the NFT space.
In fact, Hersch’s latest drop for Crypto.com NFT did so well that it has placed him the top five best-selling creators on the platform, alongside esteemed brands, celebrities and artists such as the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team, Snoop Dogg, BossLogic and Crypto.com’s own in-house creative team. Titled “Crypto Cartel,” commenting on the “addictive” properties of the cryptocurrency trade, the collection tells the story of four fictional crypto cartels and their war with the Crypto Enforcement Agency (CEA) — a follow-up to his first drop, “Game of Cryptothrones,” released on Crypto.com NFT in August.
Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, Hersch has been passionate about art since a young age — having studied South African masters such as Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba and Ben Macala, who heavily influenced his style and work. He has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at international galleries and shows, from the Turbine Art Fair in Johannesburg to Kroll Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv, Israel. Mixing media and working with various materials, experimentation and progression are Hersch’s mantras. For the inaugural installment of Crypto.com NFT’s “Creator Community” series, the platform asked the ever-evolving artist some questions about himself, his work and the NFT community.
Read the Q&A with Ari Hersch below and visit his Crypto.com NFT profile for more information.
Tell us about yourself and experience.
I am a self-taught artist born in Johannesburg, South Africa. I like to think that my work is slightly quirky — but always well thought out, often funny, sometimes disturbing and even a bit satirical. I enjoy pushing the boundaries and am currently experimenting with the use of technology in the artistic space.
My passion for art started at the age of 11, after studying and learning about artists such as Gerard Sekoto, George Pemba and Ben Macala. I attended the renowned Greenside Design Center after finishing school. During [that] period, I received multiple awards and accolades on various architectural and design projects. After receiving my degree with distinction in interior architecture and design, I was headhunted by South African architect and designer Mokena Makeka to work at his Cape Town-based office. I received valuable creative design experience and mentorship while working at MDL. In 2012, I pursued design work and joined one of South Africa’s leading property groups as its art director and brand manager — where I excelled and won the group international awards from two of my campaigns.
After refining my skills in marketing and design, I followed my lifelong passion for art and opened the A Hersch Studio in 2019. In early 2021, I committed myself to breaking into the NFT space full-time. I had my first collection, “Game of Cryptothrones,” launch with Crypto.com NFT — which was an absolute sellout and an exciting new chapter in my life.
What makes your NFTs unique?
My work is of a very high quality, [and] most of them are crypto-centric. I use an ape theme as my character reference, [creating] various storylines based on pop culture, iconic series and movies. Each artwork is linked to each other through the [stories] that I create, making one feel that they cannot just have one — they have to collect the whole collection. Each work is hand-sketched digitally, and then basic animation is applied to certain elements.
“I strive to build my career on dismantling the boundaries between art, architecture and design.”
What are some of your favorite media to work in?
Some artists cannot be confined to a single medium. They mix formats, experiment with various materials and constantly aim to innovate. I like to think I am one such artist and I strive to build my career on dismantling the boundaries between art, architecture and design. I have trained myself to use a number of mediums such as pencil, pen, charcoal, water color, acrylic, oil paint and now digital. I have even taught myself basic animation using YouTube tutorials as a guide.
What do you like most about working in digital media?
I love the flexibility attached to digital drawing. It took me a long time to embrace digital art and illustration; I used to be completely against it. When COVID hit in 2020, and we were thrown into full lockdowns, I decided to give it a try.
Digital tools are mobile and offer so much more flexibility. One can grab their pocket-sized device and create an artwork anytime and anywhere.
Drawing on a piece of glass, the sense of touch changes — altering my practice. Digital brushes have a different feel, and so I needed to adjust my usual drawing techniques to new processes and learn how to do things all over again.
What do you consider “good” art?
Good art is in the eye of the beholder. You get 100 random people in a room and ask them if they like a piece of art or not — the more people [that] like it, the better it is. But, at the end of the day, each person has their own taste and differs in what they are willing to buy or hang on their wall.
“Not liking a piece of art says more about you than it does about the art.”
What makes art good to you, personally?
What makes good art to me? An artist that uses form, color theory, pattern, texture, scale, contrast and space to create something new and intriguing — an artist that makes the viewer take another look, investigate further and have it burned in their memory forever. The idea, the concept [and] the story behind the work is also extremely important. I put a lot of energy into conceptualizing my works.
If all you need is technique, then every artist with a degree would be successful. You can say you don’t dig it, but you can’t say it’s not “good.” Art is subjective. Not liking a piece of art says more about you than it does about the art.
“If all you need is technique, then every artist with a degree would be successful.”
What’s more important: technique or message?
Well, if it’s entirely one or the other, then it isn’t art — is it? A fluidic, dynamic combination of the two and a whole lot of je ne sais quoi is what makes a timeless piece of art. They are both important!
What inspires you artistically?
Honestly, I am inspired by the never-ending desire to create and to become a better artist. I have a passion for creating something that people will enjoy, having the freedom to do what I love every single day, being able to inspire other artists through my work [and] being able to exercise my creativity. To put it simply, I love what I do.
What are the common themes of your work?
I guess one can say, every so often, I throw a recognizable pop culture icon, influencer, public figure or current newsworthy event into my art. Some of my works could be defined as a response to [the] current news cycle or what is happening in our daily lives.
Who is your audience?
[I’m] not sure; I guess my visuals have attracted a diverse audience, from traditional art collectors to brand new NFT investors — so everyone and anyone?
Who are some of your favorite NFT artists in the community?
I’m a huge fan of Beeple, BossLogic and Mad Dog Jones.
How were you monetizing your art before NFTs?
I was selling my art through the traditional art market using galleries, exhibitions, commissioned artworks and building up a solid collector base through these channels.
Were you interested in cryptocurrency or blockchain technology?
I have been interested in blockchain and crypto for about three years. I bought some Bitcoin and Ethereum here and there, but nothing serious. [I] was just having fun.
How did you get into NFTs?
During the early half of 2021, I started to hear about the emerging crypto art market. A friend of mine sent me a message and asked if I would consider doing a drop with him. After seeing other artists doing really well [and] making solid careers out of it, I thought, “Why not?”
Browse Ari Hersch’s profile on Crypto.com NFT.
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Editor’s Note (Sept. 29, 2022): an earlier version of this article was originally published on Nov. 9, 2021 and has since been edited and/or updated.
