Jiannan Huang: The Master Painter Who Conquered the Blockchain
Believe that blockchain only appeals to the young? Let us introduce you to Jiannan Huang—a celebrated Chinese artist and master of calligraphy who enthusiastically embraces NFTs, age notwithstanding.
Born in 1952 in the coastal province of Guangdong, he now lives in Beijing and travels to other countries whenever he can. As a young man, he walked more than 38,000 kilometers across China to better understand the country's natural beauty and culture. His aim was to immerse himself in the local environment and learn to draw from life. Following a series of successful exhibitions, he achieved international acclaim. During his trips to international events, Jiannan Huang explored foreign art, stylistic trends, and cultural heritage.
Huang masters both Western oil painting and traditional Chinese ink art. In China, his works are in high demand, especially among political leaders, but he is also celebrated as an exceptional artist internationally. Jiannan currently serves as the president of the French Association of Eastern Culture, with his works exhibited in Germany, the USA, Thailand, Australia, and other countries worldwide.
Additionally, he has appeared in the Hurun Global Art List for almost a decade—a yearly ranking that spotlights the world’s best artists based on public auction sales. Huang’s estimated sales exceed $29 million. Indeed, the list of Jiannan’s awards, exhibitions, workshops, collaborations, charitable endeavors, and honorary titles is so long that it could easily fill an article on its own.
It might initially seem that a person of his advanced age (72 years) and with such a distinguished career wouldn’t take much interest in modern technology. Yet, through his words and deeds, Huang breaks down this misconception. He believes that everyone should keep evolving and learning new things, whether in their profession or hobbies. Thus, alongside his traditional artwork, Jiannan decided to experiment with creating a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
I personally believe that no matter how technology and intelligence develop in the future, people will ultimately play a decisive role. Human emotions are rich, human imagination is unlimited, and human creativity has no end, and these are the vitality and source of artistic creation,Huang believes.
Jiannan’s first and, so far, only NFT collection, titled Orbit, was released in June 2024. It features a series of vibrant abstract images that occasionally resemble cosmic landscapes. According to the artist’s vision, these NFTs will grant access to an exclusive club called BW3, designed to bring together art lovers, artists, and crypto enthusiasts. For the owners of the collection, the club offers networking opportunities, the potential to raise their status, and the possibility of forming beneficial partnerships.
The Orbit Collection. Source: OpenSea Official Website.
Orbit comprises 500 unique NFTs, each with a range of traits like color, elements, shapes, and other distinctive features. In just two months, the collection's trading volume has exceeded 1,000 ETH ($2.7 million), while the floor price for a single token remains solid at about 3.8 ETH ($10,000). The collection has already drawn the attention of several high-profile individuals, including Rupert Hoogewerf, founder of the Hurun Report research group, which has only added to the collection's prominence.
The quick sellout of the Orbit series reinforces the vast potential of NFTs as a platform for presenting artists. It’s highly likely that Huang, encouraged by this remarkable success and his willingness to embrace modern technology, will continue his NFT endeavors, with a new collection likely coming soon.
