*This conversation is part of our new editorial series, Gallery Selects, where we showcase the diverse artists, collectors, and curators who are creating and sharing their NFTs on Gallery.

We’re thrilled to share our conversation with Anton Dubrovin, also known as MCHX, discussing his latest collection, Radiance. We couldn't be more excited to mark Gallery's launch on the app store with this collaboration.

MCHX is a digital artist who breathes life into pixels and code. Born in Kazakhstan, Anton's journey into digital art has been unique. He has been exploring color and form for quite some time, using graphic programs, code, and AI. Inspired by 20th-century abstract artists, Anton finds motivation in the color-field movement, where color transcends visual elements to become a universal channel of emotion and exploration. His previous creations, including Cascade, Es, and Color Transitions, offer experiences through water-inspired art, color palettes, and emotive transitions. The results often exceed expectations.

His new creation, Radiance, stands as a testament to his innovative spirit and artistic vision. This generative art series merges dynamic gradients with circles, creating pieces minted through algorithms. This ensures that each work is truly one-of-a-kind. Inspired by the universal and varied expressions of creativity and self-expression found on the internet, Radiance is dedicated to the vibrant creative community in Web3. This community, known for its lively diversity, perpetual evolution, and passionate embrace of freedom and connection, serves as a cornerstone of the series' motivation—to unite creativity and foster love for all forms of online art.

Powered by Highlight, this collaboration not only showcases our new app's capabilities but also heralds a new era of collecting within the blockchain. Download the Gallery app now from the App Store to mint a free artwork from this exclusive collection. Alternatively, you can also mint on Highlight for 0.08 th.

Hi MCHX, could you share some insights about yourself, your background, and your inspiration? We'd love to learn more about your journey and what drives your creative process.

Hi, I'm Anton. Originally from Kazakhstan, I am currently based in Georgia. I have been creating art since 2016, with a particular focus on generative art in recent years.

My artistic inspiration draws from various sources including 20th-century abstraction, Abstract Expressionism, Color Field artists, nature, music, and the internet. I am also intrigued by contemporary life and visions of the future. Outside of art, I enjoy taking walks, reading, and watching Japanese anime and dramas in my free time.

What inspired your entry into the NFT and Web3 space, and how did you initially discover Gallery?

In 2020, I accumulated a variety of different works and was looking for a way to showcase them, meet new people, and earn a little money.

During that time, there was a lot of talk about NFTs, and there was also an app called newlife.io. That's where I discovered many digital artists and learned about Web3 concepts. I started seeking information and noticed that digital artists were finding their audience and selling their works for cryptocurrency, and digital art itself began to be perceived differently. People started to acknowledge it and realize its value. In early 2021, I started a Twitter account, and by the summer of the same year, I began minting my first works on Tezos and Ethereum.

I learned about 'Gallery' from Twitter, I think it was in 2022.

As an artist, what aspects of displaying your artworks on Gallery do you find most appealing or fulfilling in terms of enhancing your creative vision and connecting with your audience?

I like that Gallery is specifically designed for exhibiting digital art and NFTs, and that it's a part of the Web3 economy. I appreciate the clean, airy design of the app and platform, which puts the artwork in the spotlight.

What I love the most is that generative artworks are rendered within the application in real-time. This is fantastic and it is truly unique.

Could you share insights into your creative process, specifically in developing this collaborative project with Gallery on Highlight? What inspirations fuel Radiance and drive your artistic vision?

I particularly enjoy working with colors, creating various combinations, and exploring how they evolve over time. Through coding, I'm learning to control these transformations, and in doing so, I observe not only changes in my art but also within myself. Sometimes, it's the reverse—I aim to express my emotional states by transitioning colors on the screen.

For this project, I developed over 60 distinct color modes, which was an exhilarating experience. The central object in the composition plays a crucial role in connecting the viewer with the artwork. I chose a circle for its universal symbolism and ease of understanding. The circle represents integrity and unity; it appears to blend into surrounding colors yet maintains its distinct shape, symbolizing harmony with everything around it.

How do you approach translating abstract concepts such as the 'blueprint of our energetic state' into on-chain generative art? Could you walk us through the steps involved in bringing such a concept to life?

I believe that every time we interact with the blockchain, we are exchanging energy. When we set up a wallet, it is generated with random characters, which may initially seem insignificant. However, these characters become important to us; we value and cherish them. It becomes not only a conduit for resources but also for self-expression on the network, a conductor of our energy.

I have developed a theory that when I mint a generative artwork, there is an interaction between my energy and the artist's work, and the output somehow carries an imprint of myself—perhaps my emotional state or what I need at that moment. Such work brings true delight and joy; it's when the magic happens. However, for this to occur, the work needs to have enough variability, evoke emotions, and be as universal as possible.

But to be honest, when I work on a piece, I don't think about all of this; I simply try to express myself. Everything described above is more of my observations and how I perceive what's happening on the blockchain and on the internet in general.

Can you describe how collaborating with Gallery has influenced your artistic process and guided the development of this series?

For a while, this project existed on my computer as a sketch. When Gallery offered their collaboration idea, I immediately felt that this work was waiting for this moment, and everything suddenly made sense. I believe that this work would be a great gift for the application's users, as it embodies the lightness and universal beauty of love for digital art and creativity.

Given the imminent launch of the Gallery app on the app store, in what ways do you envision this project contributing to the platform's debut and engaging users effectively?

I hope this work will bring joy and inspiration to users of the platform. Additionally, newcomers to NFTs or blockchain will find something immediately shareable and engaging.

As Highlight is integrated directly into the Gallery mobile app, how has this mobile-focused strategy shaped your artistic workflow, from conceptualization through to final delivery?

Although I always strive to ensure my works are dimensionally responsive, this time I paid extra attention to optimizing for the mobile version, especially focusing on the square aspect ratio. Since users will primarily view it within the application in a square window, this aspect was crucial. It was also important to ensure that the work loads quickly, without any delays. The mobile user experience should be enjoyable and as seamless as possible.

Looking ahead, are there any innovative approaches or techniques you're excited to explore in your future projects, either within Gallery or beyond? How do you envision your works evolving in response to emerging technologies and platforms?

Nowadays, Web3 seems even more inspiring to me than when I first immersed myself in it. It's no longer just a dream or an idea; it's already a whole real-world offering numerous opportunities for exploration, development, creativity, communication, and collaboration.

However, it's also important to take the time to evaluate all the possibilities and changes around us. Platforms now offer a lot—opportunities to express oneself, meet and interact with people—and I'm very glad about that. But as an artist in Web3, my primary goal is to maintain independence, and I always keep that in mind.

Thanks for your time Anton!

-------

Twitter: @MCHX17

Farcaster: @mchx

Website: mchx.space

Gallery: https://gallery.so/mchx

You can follow us on X (Twitter), Instagram, or here on Mirror to stay updated on the latest articles and interviews we publish. You can also join our Discord server to chat with the artists and other community members.