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A Lei Melendres Interview: The artist behind the Ownly Mural
Lei Melendres is the lead artist behind the Ownly Mural NFT art called “Existential Voyage,” which has been dubbed Asia’s largest blockchain-integrated physical art exhibition.
It is measured at approximately 75 feet by 40 feet in front of the Meatspace Web3 Art Gallery in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
The Mega Maxi sits down with Lei for an exclusive interview to fill you in on how the Ownly Mural idea came to life.
Besides that, he also gave us a few hints about the future of the Existential Voyage and the Ownly community.
How Did The Ownly Mural Idea Come To Life?
Lei has been a full-time illustrator for more than a decade. He said that he got started in Web3 because of Isma, the CEO of Ownly.
According to him, Isma invited him to be the artist of Ownly’s inaugural NFT collectible, which led him to explore Web3 and its opportunities.
Fast forward to late few months of 2022, Lei mentioned to Isma that he wanted to make a mural. Isma said to him in response that he wanted to create something unique that Ownly hadn’t done yet. And that’s when the two of their ideas clicked together.
After that, Isma met Meatspace Web3 Art Gallery. According to Lei, the gallery mentioned to Isma that they also want to make a mural. This gave them the push they need to bring the project to life.
“After that, we already developed the design and brainstormed ways to better connect the mural to Web3.
That’s why we thought of putting our previous collection characters, The Inkvadyrz, into the design as well as other NFT projects like the Aswang Tribe NFTs by AswangNFT.
Besides that, we also connect with PDAX and XOVOX Labs, who cover the event,” Lei explained.
How Does the Ownly Mural Become Blockchain-Integrated?
According to Isma, they integrate NFTs into the mural art, not the mural itself. They created a mural NFT collection called Existential Voyage, which is named after the mural itself.
The NFTs are limited to 100 editions, which can be obtained by purchasing the actual spray paint cans used to create the mural art.
The said collection can now be seen on the Tezos blockchain here. As of today, the physical spray paint cans were already sold out.
100 SRPAY CANS, SOLD OUT!
The limited edition spray cans are now sold out! Digital mural collectibles will be sent to the holders of the physical token this week.
You can visit and admire the largest blockchain-integrated physical art by @LeiMelendres at @meatspacew3ph . pic.twitter.com/lRW6LmdB4V
— OWNLY | OwnChain (@ownlyio) February 1, 2023
Therefore, there are no more ways for you to own a part of this history unless, of course, the holders sell it to you in the secondary market.
Lei Melendres’s Experience In Making The Ownly Mural
Lei told us how thankful he is to Ownly for their full support of his vision for the project.
He also thanked the Meatspace Web3 Art Gallery for providing his main team and volunteer artists. He said that without them, the project wouldn’t have been able to finish this early (within the span of only 1 month).
Besides that, he also thanked the Crypto Art PH community for their support in this project. He said that they always visit the mural, even if it’s not done yet, and they are always looking for ways to help.
Besides that, he also added that the community plays a big role in promoting the mural itself by sharing it on social media and attending the main reveal date of the project.
“For me, if it weren’t for Ownly, this project wouldn’t be possible since they handle everything… They are so easy to work with, and they always listen to what I need…,” Lei said.
What Are Ownly’s Plans For The Future Of The Mural?
According to Lei, this collaboration between him and Ownly will not be the last. He said that even before they started the mural, they already had so much planned for the future.
Besides that, he also said that even after they finished the mural, they had already received numerous proposals.
Lei hinted, “We actually have something else planned for the mural that we may release by the end of the second quarter, but I’m not allowed to share it yet.”
Conclusion
It’s no doubt that Ownly is doing innovative projects to further push the boundaries of Web3 in the country. We are excited about what they have in store for us in the next few months.
What do you think about this update?
Editors’ Note: The Mega Maxi’s articles and its external content are not financial advice. Always DYOR.