1/1 Artist Spotlight: Samuel Gray

ONE37pm's 1/1 Artist Spotlight is a series that focuses on giving love to 1 of 1 NFT Artists. Whether they're from the traditional art world or just got started in art through web3, we want to highlight and help you get to know those who are up and coming.

A 1/1 NFT is a unique, one-of-a-kind digital collectible where no other exists other than the piece itself.  Each 1/1 collection has a limited amount of editions available, with the number dictated by the artist. We hope to introduce you to talented and incredible people in the NFT space and the reasons they love doing what they do.

Samuel Gray is known for his surrealistic mannerisms and a hyper-realistic style. Gray uses introspective themes and metaphors that encourages viewers to connect with the environments he creates.

He currently works as a Senior Designer for a creative agency, but actively creates 1/1 art on the blockchain.

His work is available on Foundation and Opensea.

ONE37pm: How has your artist journey changed since joining NFTs? How did you start?

Gray: I first started learning about NFTs around April 2021 and minted my first piece September 2021. I started by learning how to animated my digital illustrations which is a pretty strenuous process and time consuming. 3d and animated artwork was really popular when I joined the space, and then shifted to PFP projects and I kind of feel like 1/1 artwork has been getting more attention recently. I have been focused on creating artwork and sharing it, a few collections here and there and have done an edition piece that I learned from. I have started to slow down and give more intentional thought on what kind of pieces I’m making where before I would just create things on a whim and throw it out there.

ONE37pm: Do you prefer physical or digital art?

I prefer both, but my physical work has traditionally be very large scale and I already have a storage shed full of work that I’ve had trouble moving around. Digital is much more efficient, but I think what lacks in viewing a lot of digital artwork especially my style is much better experienced on large scales in-person. A hope of mine is to bridge the two worlds of physical and digital experiences of my work together at some point.

ONE37pm: How would you describe your art style?

Most of my work has surrealistic mannerisms and a hyper-realistic style. I tend to use introspective themes and metaphors that encourage the viewer to connect with subjects within the environments that I create. My hope is that the viewer can find themselves in my art and that they can experience a wide range of emotions.

ONE37pm: What is your favorite piece?

I don’t really have a single favorite piece. There are many that stand out right away in my head for different reasons. I would say the memorable and lasting ones are the ones that have sparked conversations with those that showed appreciation for the piece and also the ones that I made during really special or trying times in my life.

ONE37pm: What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?

A goal of mine is to stay active in creating artwork that I love, and to meet and connect with more people through it. Also to make progress towards being a self sustaining artist. I work full time as a designer and my goals in the next hand full of years is to shoot towards supporting my family with my artwork.

ONE37pm: When do you feel most inspired to create?

Whenever I get an idea or a story to tell I always feel inspired to visualize it and create something out of it. I also go through seasons of just creative highs where I am hoping to work on something every night. But with having a family and a full-time job that sometimes isn’t sustainable and I have to slow down and take care of myself mentally and physically. There’s a lot of self-imposed pressure we tend to put on ourselves by comparing to what was see on social media and all of the success that our peers are having that it can be demotivating. I try to have a healthy balance of pouring my inspiration not only into my art, but my family and friends.

ONE37pm: Who are 3 artists you have your eyes on at the moment?

Artbyeleven @artbyeleven

Eleven tells a lot by doing minimal, gradient artworks. They have been really impressing me with the stories that she’s sharing with her work.

Nilus Dantes @intodaysnight

Nilus does primary black and white photography, some experimental abstract and dark/horror themes. I appreciate his ability balance light and darkness and being able to sit in the dark and also see the light.

YAGAMIII @YAGAMIIIARTS

Yaga is a multimedia artist that is extremely talented. They have been working on digital illustrations in a traditional style with very elaborate color pallets and complex themes and stories that are beautiful.