February 22, 2022

Artist Spotlight: The Caribbean Glitch Art of IX Shells

In 2021, IX Shells became the highest-selling female NFT artist to date with the $2 million auction of her art piece Dreaming at Dusk. Here, she joins Kevin to discuss her journey from Panama to Canada and what it's taken to break through the male-dominated NFT world.

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In 2021, IX Shells became the highest-selling female NFT artist to date with the $2 million auction of her art piece Dreaming at Dusk. Here, she joins Kevin to discuss her journey from Panama to Canada and what it's taken to break through the male-dominated NFT world.

Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon PocketCasts podcast player icon Overcast podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon

In 2021, IX Shells became the highest-selling female NFT artist to date with the $2 million auction of her art piece Dreaming at Dusk. Here, she joins Kevin to discuss her journey from Panama to Canada and what it's taken to break through the male-dominated NFT world.

LINKS

NOTES

  • Who is IX Shells? [00:42]
  • Are you doing it right? Itzel Yard explains how to pronounce IX Shells, and from where this nickname was derived. [01:23]
  • Has IX Shells always celebrated her inner geek? It probably helped that her father "punished" her transgressions by making her read books. Does she recommend that today's parents practice this method of discipline? [03:03]
  • Did IX Shells grow up with computers? [04:50]
  • When did art enter the picture? [06:01]
  • IX Shells finds relaxation through hyperfocusing on her art. [08:06]
  • How did IX Shells' background in computers, continuing education abroad, relationship problems, job stress, fascination with patterns, and interest in art conspire to galvanize her explorations in generative art? [10:25]
  • How did IX Shells begin connecting with other artists and growing her audience? [15:58]
  • IX Shells co-created and has managed the Creative Code Art Instagram page -- which predates the NFT scene. [19:02]
  • How IX Shells got into the world of NFTs and where she found her first big success. [22:41]
  • Why IX Shells considers Foundation her NFT platform of choice. [26:19]
  • How selling NFTs changed IX Shells' life and allowed her to give back to her family, and who bought her first NFT. [28:53]
  • IX Shells revels in the thrill of creating and connecting to a worldwide community while building something that could very well last forever. [30:51]
  • Weighing the pros and cons of staying anonymous online. [33:46]
  • What IX Shells sees for the future of decentralization in heavily centralized Panama. [38:05]
  • IX Shells reflects on selling her Dreaming at Dusk NFT for 500 ETH (about $2 million at the time), and how it dramatically changed life for her family overnight. [40:08]
  • How IX Shells' father, who passed away when she was just 14, continues to inspire her. [47:01]
  • Odd jobs IX Shells took on before committing to a career in art -- including washing skyscraper windows from 50 stories above the streets of Toronto. [49:17]
  • Since selling Dreaming at Dusk, what's IX Shells been focusing on? [52:00]
  • Software and a series IX Shells recommends to aspiring generative artists. [53:44]
  • Big projects IX Shells is currently juggling. [55:44]
  • Why does IX Shells think the generative art community works so hard to promote and help newcomers find their footing? [57:08]
  • The NFT artists currently shocking and impressing IX Shells. [58:16]
  • IX Shells has an impressive, atypical NFT collection. [59:34]
  • How IX Shells and Nicolas Sassoon relate to each other through pixels. [1:00:31]
  • Parting thoughts and words of wisdom for NFT enthusiasts. [1:04:16]

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