NFTs. Non-fungible tokens. These digital certificates of ownership that you keep hearing about. Some refer to it as a bubble, others as a revolution. I see something more profound, especially for artists in Southeast Asia: a gateway. A visa for agency, independence, and international opportunity.
Forgotten Voices Find Global Stage
How many of these hundreds of talented artists from Southeast Asia have you seen showcased at flagship Western institutions? Probably not enough. Traditional art markets are notoriously gatekept. Galleries, therefore, serve as a pernicious gatekeeping mechanism, controlling who is pushed into the light and who continues to be ignored. This system, regardless of conscious intent, continues to reinforce biases – geographic, cultural, and economic.
NFTs shatter that wall. They offer a way to connect directly from artist to collector, without having to go through the traditional gate-keepers. Consider Nandar, a digital artist based in Myanmar. Before NFTs, her elaborate digital paintings just sat on her hard drive, viewed by a select few friends and family. Fast-forward to today, her work is being bought and collected by people all over the world, and she’s making a living sustainably. Stories like hers are no longer an exception but rather a growing movement.
That’s because the blockchain — the technology that makes NFTs possible — allows for a visible and permanent record of ownership that cannot be changed. It’s a transparent, decentralized digital ledger that is immutable. This makes for unprecedented levels of security and transparency. It’s critically important for those regions in which artists face greater copyright exposure or lack of legal recourse.
Empowerment Through Decentralized Opportunity
Consider this: traditional art sales often involve hefty commissions taken by galleries and agents. Artists may end up receiving just a small percentage of what the work ultimately sells for. NFTs flip this model on its head. Through this, artists are able to sell directly to their collectors, allowing them to take home a significantly higher percentage of the revenue. Most importantly, most marketplaces for NFTs have the capacity for artists to embed royalties in the smart contract. That is, each time the piece of art changes hands, the artist automatically gets a cut of the sale price as a part of their rights. This is revolutionary. It’s a terrific passive income stream, letting artists enjoy a more stable financial baseline while freeing them to focus on their own creative work.
Consider what that means for artists from nations with emerging economies. Access to capital through unconventional methods is difficult to receive, as the typical capital funding sources are not an option. NFTs do provide an interesting mechanism for them to be able to bootstrap their careers, to build a following, and to have a sustainable business. The act of selling art only scratches the surface. Beyond that, it’s about establishing a brand, cultivating a community, and gaining agency over your creative future.
What if the NFT craze isn’t limited to the “art world” and social media influencer hype, but serves as a mechanism for social change?
Overcoming Hurdles Building a Future
The NFT space isn't without its challenges. Access to technology, language barriers, and cultural nuances can all present challenges for Southeast Asian artists. And not everyone has access to high-speed internet or a computer that can run expensive, resource-heavy software. It’s important to recognize the reality of these challenges and get to work changing them.
Third, we need to invest in digital literacy programs. To go along with this, let’s make access to affordable tech a priority and start translating NFT resources into local languages. We need to build spaces that honor and safeguard culture. These platforms should address the unique needs of Southeast Asian artists. This is not merely an act of charity but an effort to ensure a fair playing field.
The potential rewards far outweigh the challenges. The NFT space is so new that many are just waiting for the novelty to wear off. It’s a creative and innovative wild west. Southeast Asian artists, with their rich cultural heritage and unique artistic perspectives, are perfectly positioned to shape its future.
So, what can you do? Look into marketplaces like OpenSea and Foundation and take the initiative to find Southeast Asian artists. Buy their work. Share their stories. Promote their art on social media. Become a patron of the digital arts.
Together, we cannot allow this moment of possibility and obligation to slip from our grasp. Let’s support these artists in their efforts, lift up their voices and the city of Chicago’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable art world for all.
