The Future of AI Art is Education + Curation, not just Generation

AI Art is powerful for good and bad reasons. The replications of biased datasets can lead to misunderstandings and misrepresentations of identities. However, it can also elevate our own voices towards humanity and question what we should value in these experiences.

About a month ago, an artist snuck an AI-generated painting into the National Museum of Cardiff. Over 100 people viewed the painting before it was removed. People were upset, yet the artist claimed they did this to spark a conversation on permissions and gatekeeping systems.

Whether you agree or disagree, this new era will require us to become more transparent as the technology develops. 

Link to Article Source:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4j83pde33o

AI Art: Education & Curation

Learn how @wildy_martinez transformed her journey with vitiligo into a catalyst for creative exploration and advocacy, challenging beauty standards while using AI and blockchain to amplify marginalized voices.

📚🔗🔽 

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Transforming Vitiligo: Creative Advocacy

The ancient belief in the invisible red thread of fate is at the core of her artistic practice.

Explore @june_redthread journey merging traditional Asian symbolism with cutting-edge technology in our latest post via @viamirror 

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Red Thread of Fate

Meet Nygilia, an artist whose work explores the intersection of cultural identity and fantasy. Through characters, generative art, and immersive experiences, she creates multilayered narratives alongside her love of gaming worlds.

Featured as part of SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 🔽

"My goal every time I make a piece is to have people look at it and have a different perspective towards it." Born to a mother of German, Italian, and Romanian heritage and a father from the West Indies and Jamaica, Nygilia's art thrives on diverse cultural influences.

"I could come home one day to bierkeller music. I can come the other day and it's Vybz Kartel," she explains. "I grew up with so much sound and vibrancy and stories that as a creator, I love doing that. I love blending identities and creating those stories."

Her artistic vision is further shaped by Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda. She's drawn to how these games build complex character identities and narratives where "they all come together for a greater purpose."

The result is artwork that feels "out of this world or immersive," deliberately designed to spark conversation.

"If they have two different answers, to me, that's a win," she explains. "Because I like people having perspective on my work versus too literal of an answer. Because I didn't grow up literal."

For women entering digital art, Nygilia emphasizes: "Approach everyone with an open mind and really open your heart to the story and artist you want to be."

To learn more about @nygi_xxv story and her practice, check out our SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 digital zine via @objktcom 

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Exploring Cultural Fantasy

Introducing Melissa Kapnick, Chief of Staff & Go to Market Expert at @AtomicForm, where she helps attach off-chain history to on-chain identifiers, preserving the stories behind digital art while shaping product strategy based on artist needs.

Featured in SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025

Melissa's career philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: "I just want to have fun with what I'm doing and enjoy my work." This approach led her through diverse roles—yoga teacher, B2B sales, marketing firm owner, education, edtech—before finding her home in Web3.

Her journey to Atomic Form began with consulting: "I was working for a different company doing go-to-market strategy. We hit it off so well that at a certain point, Atomic Form was like, 'You should work for us full-time.' So I followed the dream."

On overlooked Web3 topics, Melissa highlights AI's future role in art collection: "People are going to use AI agents to purchase art, asking 'What's the highest value piece I can get for less than this much in this style?'"

She acknowledges the tension this creates: "It's a catch-22 because it's happening no matter what. But I think it feels taboo because it's a weird thing for an artist to think about—the concept of an AI bot buying your work or discovering your work."

Looking ahead, Melissa remains committed to artist-centered development: "I always want to stay on the cusp of talking to customers and bringing feedback into our product, making sure it's always built on the voice of the artist."

To read more about Melissa's journey, take a look at SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 via @objktcom 

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Melissa Kapnick: Web3 Innovator

Meet @zenaviart, an artist working at the intersection of digital illustration, animation, and interactive art. 

Featured as part of SIXTEEN X NINE WHM Digital Zine! 

"For me, discovering animation software–especially Adobe After Effects–was a transformative turning point in my creative journey," she shares. "Animation allowed my art to come alive, offering new ways to express subtle emotions, storytelling depth, and dynamic interactions."

One of her standout projects is "Weather Jar," a collaboration with v i v—an interactive artwork responding to real-time weather data from Jakarta, visually adapting to current conditions like sunny, rainy, day, or night.

"I love this idea because it establishes a deeply personal connection with viewers, evoking memories or emotions tied directly to a place and moment they cherish," she explains about the Weather Jar project.

Zenavi draws inspiration from Asian women in art tech: Shavonne Wong's "visionary approach to creating digital 3D models" and Emi Kusano's "vibrant creativity and fearless authenticity"—both influencing her artistic evolution.

Her community building philosophy mirrors her artistic practice: "consistently nurturing real, meaningful connections around shared passions and stories"—creating authentic experiences that connect people through emotion, memory, and shared humanity.

Zenavi's work reminds us that technology can deepen human connection rather than diminish it when used to express authentic emotions and stories.

To learn more about @zenaviart story, check out her written interview in SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 via @objktcom 

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Digital Art Transformations

Meet Debbie Soon, author of "Digital Mavericks" and former co-founder of HUG (acquired by .ART Domain Registry), whose work makes Web3 accessible through "an artistic, human-centered lens."

Featured as part of SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 📝📚🔽

"You don't need anyone's permission to do the thing you've always dreamed of." This ethos has guided @debsoon through her career, from helping artists establish their blockchain presence to authoring a book, Digital Mavericks, that welcomes creators and tech skeptics alike.

We look back to where it all began...

During the pandemic, Debbie relocated from Singapore to the United States, leaving behind a decade-long career and established network. "Starting over in a new industry and country taught me to embrace discomfort," she reflects.

"Sometimes, you have to climb cringe mountain to find your purpose and, more importantly, your people." Words that capture the vulnerability and courage needed to build something meaningful in emerging spaces.

On building community: "Community isn't about the tool, it is about showing up consistently and sincerely," whether on Farcaster (her current favorite platform), traditional social media, or in-person meetups.

Debbie's goal transcends education—she wants to help people "not just understand what's next but to allow them to see themselves in it and shape it." Another inspiring voice featured in our SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 digital zine!

To learn more about @debsoon journey, feel free to check out the full zine on @objktcom 

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Debbie Soon: Digital Maverick

Introducing Lethabo Huma, a South African multimedia artist who transforms the boundary between traditional and digital art into a creative playground.

Featured in SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025! 🎨

"I work with various mediums, including traditional painting, digital painting, and 3D art," she explains. @lethabohuma adds textures that emulate traditional paint strokes while incorporating digital elements like geometric shapes into physical paintings.

On how being a woman influences her art: "Being a woman is central to my identity, and it naturally permeates all that I do. My work is a direct reflection of who I am, and that perspective inherently shapes everything I create."

Her advice to fellow artists resonates deeply: "Be brave enough to step into different art spaces and find what feels right for you. Not every space will feel like home, but embrace that exploration."

"Remember that you can redefine yourself as many times as you want." Words that capture Lethabo's philosophy of artistic freedom and continuous reinvention across mediums.

Lethabo Huma's work reminds us that artistic boundaries are meant to be playgrounds, not limitations. 

Another inspiring voice featured in our #SIXTEENXNINE WHM 2025 via @objktcom 

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Lethabo Huma: Art Fusion

📸 Introducing Ayesha Kazim 📸

A photographer whose work spans analog and digital mediums, bridging traditional photography with AI-augmented digital manipulation.

Featured as part of SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025! 🔽

"Technology plays a key role in how I capture the world around me and develop my artistic practice," Ayesha explains. Her approach allows her to "stretch the boundaries of the medium and the viewers' imagination."

Working in Web3, Ayesha brings critical awareness to representation issues: "Women are still a minority within this space and many AI models tend to be trained on data that fails to encapsulate the experiences of women, people from the diaspora, and minority groups."

On blockchain's impact: "I believe Web3 and blockchain technology will play a key role in strengthening the relationship between artists and their audiences, given that viewers will be able to trace the provenance and origins of an artist's work in real-time."

Her advice to emerging artists: "Build community and don't be afraid to reach out to peers within your network for support and guidance. Explore other mediums and experiment, as that is typically when breakthroughs in our practice can emerge."

Ayesha's work reminds us that technological innovation must be coupled with critical awareness about representation and inclusion. 

To learn more about her story, check out our SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 digital zine via @objktcom 

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Ayesha Kazim: Bridging Analog & Digital

Our next featured creator from SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025:

📝 Lara Curran 📝 

A writer and cultural critic focusing on NFT art and online culture, who also leads content strategy & art marketing at @rarible.

Growing up in rural Ireland in the 1990s, Lara developed a connection to nature that initially positioned her at odds with technology: "I spent many years feeling pretty suspicious of technology. A lot of how I understand myself comes from my relationship with nature and art."

Through her critical work on Render_output, @Lara_curran_ rejects the distanced, authoritative voice often associated with art writing. Instead, she embraces subjectivity and emotional response as valid frameworks.

https://renderoutput.substack.com/

"I document my personal encounters with art that I love, in a style that I hope is honest and engaging," she says of her approach to criticism, showing how deeply personal and worthwhile connecting with art can be.

In her role at @rarible, Lara works at the intersection of artists, technology, and audiences: "One thing I love about Rarible is that we support some of the biggest names in the space as well as emerging artists."

Looking ahead, @Lara_curran_ aims to elevate discourse around NFTs: "I would love to see more rigorous research and reflection in this space. I intend to create something that deepens the conversation around NFTs and digital art."

To learn more about Lara's story, check out her featured section in SIXTEEN X NINE WHM 2025 via @objktcom 

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We've also preserved Lara's insights and full interview as part of our growing archive on @viamirror, creating an additional resource in our ecosystem. Check out the complete article: 

https://mirror.xyz/ancurated.eth/3BZNRlCk1-srDwROL0G11_nXd9s6TXMUYDShYrIjISg