Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is the buzzword these days, and you can see many brands embracing it. We have McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Nike, Ray-Ban, Louis Vuitton and BMW among the well-known brands that have started their own NFT initiative.
Over here in Malaysia, we have KFC, AEON and MyeongDong Topokki offering NFT with benefits to its holders; whereas MY EG Services Bhd (MYEG) have launched their own NFT marketplace called Pangolin.
Having said that, there’s a local NFT artist that have been making waves worldwide and raking in millions of dollars from his NFT collection. Let’s meet Katun and get to know him a little bit better.
Here are 5 things that you should know about this local NFT artist.
1. How It All Started
Katun is a Graffiti Artist and Illustrator based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He first embarked on his NFT journey with his manager/partner David Ku. Although the NFT sector locally is still in its infancy, they both shared a common vision and their ideas clicked.
With Katun’s experience in the art community, David believed that they could take it to the next level by stepping into the NFT space. Several months of back and forth conversations with industry leader Elliot Wainman, co-founder of U.S based Superfarm platform, resulted in their partnership that set the groundwork for 4 Stages, which then sets the Apes R Us project into motion.
2. Have Been Creative Since Young
Katun have always been a creative person and he has been drawing since a very young age. When Katun was in kindergarten, he used to imitate all of his favorite 80’s cartoon character styles, and even told his teacher that he wanted to be a cartoonist when he grow up.
What do you know, dreams do come true!
3. His NFT Have Been Sold For Millions
His recent collection entitled Apes R Us, consisting of 8,444 NFTs was sold out within 28 hours. The collection, which valued at USD7 million, surpassed his previous NFT releases – ‘Apes Stands Strong’ and ‘Mystical Fruits’ – which reached an approximate total sale of USD401 thousand.
He have also worked with renowned international artists such as Chris Brown, Dua Lipa, & Post Malone, and brands such as DC Shoes, JBL, Vans, Sony and New Era.
4. His Advice To Fellow Malaysians
For fellow Malaysians who wants to get involved with NFT, it is important to know the value of your art and your audience. Take your time to create good artwork and most importantly, don’t rush. Don’t stress yourself out on how much you can earn, just enjoy creating instead of thinking about it.
Focus, concentrate, and trust the process.
5. His Plans For The Future
There is plenty in the works regarding the Apes R Us project. He aims to expand and explore other mechanisms and mediums.
A few brand collaborations are in store as well, and anyone that wants to know more about his projects, feel free to join their Discord community and follow their Instagram profile for the latest updates.
Of course we didn’t stop there, we also asked Katun on NFT as an investment tool. Let’s check out his answers.
With The Recent Crash Of Crypto, Will The NFT Market Crash Too?
Personally, he don’t foresee the NFT market crashing. As a creator, he have always been self-motivated, and don’t quit easily.
“Ups and downs are part of the game, you either keep going or you’ll get chewed out. For as long as there are creators in this world, it will always be survival of the fittest”, said Katun.
And we can see that NFT is still in a very early stage. We haven’t even get started talking about Metaverse, which is said to be booming in the next few years – which prompted Facebook to change its name to Meta.
Is NFT A Good Investment To Venture Into?
“If you have a solid plan of action, a valid strategy, I believe money can be made, but my core focus is on building and growing the project, along with the community, and putting emphasis on executing development work”, said Katun.
For investors, yes NFT would be a good investment. But maintaining a diversified portfolio to mitigate the risks involved is equally important.
