How does some guy with no art, programming or web3 skills go from 0 to creating a PFP art collection that redefines the whole genre? Let me share my story...

Redefining PFPs with an artwork-first approach, drawing from Renaissance elegance and modern couture to create timeless art | Founder https://montsserat.com

1/ In 2021, the NFT world took a thrilling leap into the mainstream—but something went wrong along the way. What began as a movement to empower creators and democratize art ownership soon got overshadowed.

“monkey pictures,” “ponzi schemes,” and empty speculation marred the space, leaving the art sidelined.

2/ When everyone’s in it only for profit, the true potential of NFTs as a platform for revolutionary art gets lost. It’s easy to see why so many people turned away—no one wants to be the last to buy into something that doesn’t last.

4/ For me, the journey started organically. I was a complete outsider to the art world, without training, just a drive to experiment and an open curiosity for what could be created with these algorithms. 

I just wanted to make something beautiful and uniquely meaningful. And somewhere in between self-teaching design software, discovering generative algos, and leaning on years of curiosity for digital tools, it clicked.

5/ It took years of refining, experimenting, and accidental breakthroughs to arrive at the blend of historic richness and contemporary style that defines my portraits today.

In truth, this whole collection happened by accident. The blend of regal history and contemporary elegance started from a single portrait - the queen with the black cat. Yes, I was the one to input the traits but they were some of the many I was playing with.

6/ The one portrait set the course. On this course I’m inspired by Renaissance portraiture and the timeless sophistication of couture, but my art isn’t about recreating the past—it’s about bringing the spirit of those eras into a modern context.

The women I portray carry themselves with strength and poise, adorned with intricate details and rich textures that evoke both history and a future aesthetic.

7/ It’s a marriage of classic and contemporary, the product of years of development, and I’m hoping it’s the spark for something much bigger.

My mission is to create NFT art that stands on its own, that transcends the technology and speaks to anyone, crypto-native or not.

8/ I’m looking to build a community that values art for its beauty and its power to inspire. Because when NFTs are about the art first, everything else falls into place.

It’s time to clear the slate. To change the face of NFT PFPs and create art that matters.

9/ If you believe that art, technology, and beauty can coexist in a way that uplifts and inspires, then join me. Together, we can redefine what it means to be part of this space—an art-first community that’s passionate about beauty, innovation, and timeless elegance.

I will carry on regardless, stumbling on my way there by accident or not.

3/ Could NFTs ever be about more than speculation? What if we could create art that resonates deeply, that makes people pause and appreciate its beauty, and not just see it as a financial asset?

This question lingered as I explored the possibilities of NFT PFPs, a genre I had no intention of dismissing. The technology itself, these generative algorithms, are capable of beautiful, unexpected combinations—combinations that an artist would never think of by himself.