NFT by B’lurean on Times Square billboard

Ajay Purushotham Nambiar was shortlisted from 4,000 applicants across the world

Ajay Purushotham Nambiar, a Bengaluru-based graphic designer and animator, is one among 20 artists whose NFT art was displayed at the iconic Time Square in New York City last week. Nambiar was shortlisted from 4,000 applicants from across the world for a contest organised by the founders of NFT NYC, an annual NFT conference held in the US.

Ajay Purushotham Nambiar

He was inspired to participate in the contest when he saw artists he follows post their winning artwork on social media last year. So he made it a point to make a submission this time around. “The email announcing that I have been shortlisted went to my spam folder. Luckily, I opened it instead of deleting it,” he informs us.

His art was also printed on the VIP passes of the event, which saw 200 shortlisted artwork from various artists. While a select 20 were displayed on the billboard, the rest were
showcased offline.

The shortlisted piece is a depiction of an Indian girl clad in a yellow blouse and red dupatta. Her wrists are decked with colourful bangles, on her neck are multiple necklaces and her ears bear dangling earrings. Hues inspired by the LGBTQ flag form the backdrop. Heart-shaped sunglasses complete her look. The 33-year-old took to creating NFTs as a result of his interest in crypto currency. “Once I got a hang of the NFT market, I started experimenting with 3D software,” he shares.

Despite the future of crypto currency looking dicey at the moment, Nambiar says that it’s not about the money. “It’s about art. I try to do at least one artwork a day,” he states.