FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2022

New Horizons includes an NFT piece by exhibition curator and Massachusetts native Alex Ness (NessGraphics) as well as the following: 3D artist from Detroit Billy Chitkin (Gernge), landscape digital artist from Italy Annibale Siconolfli, prolific and whimsical digital sculptor Sam Clover (Planttdaddii), mixed media artist from Berlin Archan Nair, Turkish artist in architecture Idil Dursun (Javinart), technology artist utilizing psychedelic themes from Berkeley Bradley G. Munkowitz (GMUNK), digital and traditional artist Raf Grassetti, Emmy-award winning artist Raoul Marks, and contemporary 3D artist Ryan Talbot. 

“We aim to spread awareness of digital art so that the public and traditional art collectors can  appreciate these works as a form of art equal to traditional paintings,” says Pellas Gallery co-owner and NFT collector Alfredo Pellas. He continues “Each work will be displayed at our gallery  in high detail on large canvases with a QR code in the corner describing the artist and value – collectors can hang the artifact at home. Here at Pellas Gallery along with my partner and  fiancé Isabel Arguello we are committed to representing cutting-edge contemporary artists  from around the world. With Boston being a technology hub, we feel like it is the perfect city to start showcasing these digital works.” 

“My goal was to curate a show highlighting commercial working artists who have found their way into the NFT ecosystem,” says New Horizons curator and digital artist Ness Graphics. “These artists are transitioning from client oriented work to creating art for themselves. This show highlights the skill and mastery these artists bring to their craft. Supporting this vision, I chose artists whose work you’ve certainly seen before. Their work includes television and film title sequences, concert visuals at major music festivals, and other highly visible commercial media. My hope for this show is that attendees leave with a greater appreciation for the intricacies and quality of digital art around them in their everyday lives. I am honored to present this talented group of  some of the most innovative and inspirational artists in the digital art realm.” 

Exhibition Details

New Horizons
February 24 – April 23, 2022
Opening reception: Thursday, February 24, 6:30 – 9:30PM ET 

Artist Biographies

Alex Ness (@NessGraphics) – Curator  

26 year old digital artist Alex Ness works in a wide range of modern media, known primarily for his  mastery of 3D animation, modeling, and design. From the age of 12, Ness gravitated towards  the use of technology to captivate his audience through digital storytelling at varying scale,  showcasing his visual art alongside award-winning musicians at globally prominent events and  shows. Ness weaves in soothing undertones of dystopian and cyberpunk timelessness into his  work, and is widely respected as a thought leader in the NFT world. 

Billy Chitkin (@gernge) 

Billy Chitkin, aka Gernge, is a 3D artist, automotive enthusiast and ETH Holder since Block 3720000  from the Detroit, Michigan area. He is a commercially successful freelancer and recognized  member of the online motion graphics community. He is now focusing on creating his own  futuristic storylines that are brought to life with animated 3D artwork with an emphasis on world  building through highly detailed scenery. His 3D artwork is primarily focused on SciFi themes:  anything from sprawling, cyberpunk cityscapes to vast wastelands soaked in colorful fog. 

Annibale Siconolfi (@annibalesiconolfi)

Annibale Siconolfi is mainly known for creating detailed futuristic cities and landscapes with a  unique style which is highly appreciated in the world of 3D art. The themes of his works range  from the “nature-technology relationship” to overpopulation. His vision is influenced by his  Architecture studies in Rome, the love for cyberpunk / scifi movies and sound design  experimentations. His work has been featured on Warner Bros, ACER, Maxon Cinema 4D, Saatchi  Gallery, Designboom, XP-PEN, Behance 

Sam Clover (@planttdaddii) 

Sam Clover aka Planttdaddii is a prolific digital sculptor, her work involves an energetic blend of  flora, fauna, and whimsical characters. She uses sculpture to transform hardships and emotions, creating works that allow the viewer to  have their own emotional experience. She encourages the viewer to sit with her work and let  their own emotions surface. 

Archan Nair (@archannair) 

Archan Nair is a Visual artist, Illustrator and Digital Artist, specializing in mixed media, illustration, and digital art based out of Berlin, Germany. Archan’s visual expressions are part of a journey  which is really influenced by the mysteries of our existence and how every action, emotion, and  our interconnectedness in a universal scale sets of a chain of reactions which we experience  from the micro to the macro scale. Formerly a fashion major and entrepreneur, Archan started painting in 2006 at the age of 24 and  made the shift as an independent artist in 2007. Since Archan’s cultural roots are from India his  work underlies the multi-dimensional tone which vibrate through the senses of the land. Since then Archan has embarked on an exhilarating and inspirational journey, collaborating with  various companies and individuals such as: Nike, RedBull, Canon, Infiniti, Sony Netflix, Samsung,  Electric Forest, GQ among many others. Archan has achieved recognition from music artists like  Kanye West along with collaborations with Chris Brown, Lindsay Lohan, and Justine Bateman. 

Idil Dursun (@jarvinart) 

Born in 1997, Idil Dursun (a.k.a. Jarvinart), is an architect graduated from Bilkent University  Department of Architecture in 2020. She worked as the Art Director of the university radio “Radio  Bilkent” while in school. In 2020, she worked with Dr. Pinar Yoldas and contributed to the Venice  Biennale Architettura 2021. In September 2020, she began her professional career as a CGI Artist  in the architectural visualization company “ivaBOX”. Since then, she has also been working on  personal projects, creating mostly cyberpunk/dystopian environment concepts and building her  own universe as a vision of the future world. In March 2021, she jumped into the NFT scene and  since then has been an active member of the community. She is the curator of the ”  Architecture World” in one of the most recognized NFT platforms Foundation. Her works are  featured in Germany based science fiction magazine “Dark Matter Magazine”, displayed in  United States based “The Crypt Gallery”, Italy based “Dart Museum – Permanente di Milano” and  exhibited on “FUTR World Abu Dhabi 2021″. She also works as a freelance Environment Concept  artist for video games.” 

Bradley G. Munkowitz (@gmunk) 

GMUNK is a visionary whose creativity and innovation span a diverse range of mediums, and has  established himself as one of the top visual design directors in the world. Utilizing a fusion of psychedelic themes and richly textured palettes, his signature style is  enigmatic, atmospheric, and metaphysical – much like the Munky himself. His ethos is driven by his desire to learn and be uncomfortable. He continuously seeks to apply his  foundation in design to new mediums, with new collaborators. He finds no greater joy than  joining forces with the people he adores to discover what their combined talents can yield. The results of these labors often take beautiful and unexpected forms as short films, installations,  music videos, commercials, digital art exhibitions, title sequences and various applications of  motion design. His work often centers around themes of identity, the subconscious, and our human connection  to technology. 

Raf Grassetti (@rafagrassetti) 

Raf Grassetti is both a digital and traditional artist who has worked in the entertainment industry  for over seventeen years. He is one of the best-known digital sculptors in the world and  contributed to some of the most successful franchises in the world, winning many awards over  the years including best Art Director, best Digital Sculptor, and Video Game of the year awards.  Grassetti launched his career as a traditional sculptor, but he then transitioned to digital  sculpting after discovering the power of immortalizing his subjects in digital stone. Raf has already made a name for himself in the NFT space with some high-profile sales, and was  one of the top-selling artists in Christie’s “Proof of Sovereignty” Auction and Sotheby’s  “Contemporary Curated” Auction. Currently located in Los Angeles, he is working as an Art  Director at Sony Santa Monica’s God of War franchise, as well as working on his personal art  book, exhibition/gallery work, and crypto art. 

Raoul Marks (@raoul_marks)  

Emmy-award winning artist Raoul Marks, is well known for his work helping to craft some of the  most iconic title sequences of his generation, including opening credits for True Detective,  Westworld, The Crown, Halt and Catch Fire, American Gods, and Man in the High Castle. In  2015 he created a title sequence for design festival Semi-Permanent – as part of that process, he  open sourced some of the 3d files used in its creation. In particular a detailed model of an  Astronaut. Those files have been downloaded over 40k times, seeding the proliferation of  astronaut artworks that have subsequently flooded Instagram and crypto platforms. And as such  the phrase “OG Astro” was coined. Marks’s work revolves heavily around the anonymity of this  avatar and it’s explorations of new crypto-topographical horizons. 

Ryan Talbot (@ryantalbot_art) 

Ryan Talbot is a contemporary 3D artist raised in Southern California. He has worked with a  variety of brands over the years including Nickelodeon, Nissan, New Balance, Lil Nas X,  America’s Got Talent, Western Digital, Star Trek & more. He was a grand prize winner of Australia’s  Got Talent in 2019, collaborating with dancer Kristy Sellars on visually interactive dance pieces. Since 2021, Ryan has shifted his focus from client work to selling his personal artwork as NFTs. His  current series centers around whimsical robots and their perspective on the universe, often from  a micro scale. His tool of choice is currently Cinema4D, and one day hopes to write and direct a  feature film. In his spare time you might find him taking his dog to the park, or making a mean bowl of Udon. 

Partner Information

About Metaversal 

Metaversal is an innovative holding company that combines a venture studio and investment  firm focused on NFTs. It co-produces, curates, and invests in iconic NFT projects and the key  technology that unlocks the open metaverse. Metaversal’s mission is to invest in the infinite  stories of our culture. 

About Atomic Form 

Atomic Form makes hardware and software for NFTs and Web3 media. We build for a blockchain-based internet-of-property that spans networks, currencies, video games, art,  collectibles, and identification. We understand that community, shared interests, and resources are the backbone of distributed networks – be it stemming from the early Bitcoin Forums or the Trollbox or your local meet-up. We acknowledge the Internet as a proper noun and we design  our products to fit the needs of a new generation of users to manage, explore and pave the  way for what is to come while maximizing the utility of what is already here.  

About Pellas Gallery 

Pellas Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in Boston, MA whose primary goal is to  discover the best new emerging artists with a focus on local talent. Pellas also has a  commitment to showcasing global talent, exhibiting works from prominent West Coast artists as  well as international works from Japan, the UK, China and more. F Alfredo Pellas IV and Isabel  Arguello, an engaged couple from Nicaragua, are partners at Pellas Gallery and art collectors  themselves. Pellas and Arguello view every work at the Gallery as both an object of beauty and  as an appreciating investment for collectors. 

Pellas decided to take the risk of opening the largest gallery on Newbury Street in Boston in  November of 2019, because both Pellas and Arguello saw there was something new their  beloved city of Boston needed in its growing arts scene. 

Both Pellas and Arguello gained an eye for art through training and traveling the world with  presidents of art advisories and senior art directors to see all the most important art fairs from KIAF  in Seoul, to Art Basel Hong Kong, to Frieze and the Armory Show in London. This helped them  develop a keen eye of appreciation for contemporary art culture and the current market to be  able to make investment decisions on their own. Many of the artists Pellas has collected have  appreciated tenfold; Pellas also collects the artists the gallery represents. The mission of Pellas  Gallery is to give the people of Boston the opportunity to buy the latest and best new  contemporary art from around the world. 

Pellas Gallery Owners – Bios: 

F Alfredo Pellas IV is 26 years old and from Nicaragua. Pellas grew up in Miami, lived in Telluride  for four years, Lugano, Switzerland for three years, nine years in Boston and one year in Sydney,  Australia in between. He is an avid traveler, skier, and surfer, and has recently gotten into  collecting NFTs. 

Isabel Arguello is 27 years old and was born in San Jose, Costa Rica and a native of Nicaragua.  She has lived in Boston for nine years and spent a year in Cape Town, South Africa in between.  She shares a passion for art, travel, understanding and integrating different cultures with Alfredo,  which is one of the many things that brought them together. She has also become very  interested in the NFT market.  

Website: www.pellasgallery.com
Instagram: @pellasgallery