Everywhere we go, we celebrate people, values and shared passions, making our mark on our team, fans, and partners. You. Us. Together. Playing on the creative nature of the team and the Miami art scene, I / AM MIAMI heroes art in every form and the people that create it.
Rey joins us from Global Partner Crypto.com's creator network to talk about how his Miami-based art both inspires and is inspired by the world of digital and NFT artistry.
As young as 11 years old, I remember being in the Wynwood Art District, and seeing murals start to appear on the sides of the street. I couldn't help it – I suddenly felt, ‘oh wow, this is who I want to be.' I felt so strongly connected to it. It took a city like Miami to really help start pushing this culture forward.
As an artist, I feel like I've taken on an endeavour that takes a lot of courage. I aim to make work that displays the undeniable beauty of a belief that we're all connected, that we are one. It's something I instil into my work. I am an explorer, so I think that creatively, it's important to keep pushing at what I believe, and dive into different parts of myself.
My favourite, and most notable, piece is a mural I created on the Pinnacle Heights building. It's 150-feet tall, about 14-storeys high! It was a spiritual undertaking. I knew everyone personally; the man in the middle is my best friend, who passed away while I was planning the mural.
I started painting on the evening of his funeral. It's a beautiful piece that I was able to dedicate beyond myself and the families of people who felt connected to these faces, to the city of Miami as a whole.
It's a beautiful piece that I was able to dedicate not just to myself and the families of people who felt connected to these faces, but also to the city of Miami as a whole.
I began painting it at the midpoint, at about the ninth storey, and moved up and down on two giant lifts to where I felt was necessary to paint at the time. I fell in love with the sky during the four months it took to complete.
I was able to separate myself from the world below me, but also be a part of everything happening at the time. It was a beautiful middle limbo to be in. Whenever I create projects, I think: where will my head space be, where will my heart be, where will my physical body be during those moments?
Working with Crypto.com as part of their creator network has given me opportunities to venture into new areas and try to push the spectrum of our new age. Our current project will take a physical sculpture that I'm creating to then convert into NFTs. It will be a massive sculpture that we are excited to release as part of my most exclusive work.
Speaking from the perspective of a digital artist, I think the NFT platform was necessary to promote and strengthen the work that it takes to make art. I believe it's a way for people to take their art that they've dedicated hours of time to making and allowing someone to own a piece of that and share in that experience.
As an art collector myself, as an artist and investor, I think that captures how anyone can be a part of the art. I truly believe that NFTs are a valid form of artwork. I feel that pure art, art made from the heart, will always make its standpoint and will always be recognised, in whatever form.
It's exciting to see how Formula One is going to fit in here at Miami. It falls in line with the way that the city's built as a fast-paced society, open to accepting new things and constantly building. I see this as a massive art gathering in itself: isn't this a crazy art form in its own right? That's exactly the way I see it.
The people of Miami will bring the intensity and culture that they have to amp the place up even more. It will be a great gathering place for culture, both from F1 and from the people in the city. I am so excited to see what more I can learn there and what else I can be a part of.
Thanks to Rey for making his mark: #IAMMIAMI
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