[Editor's Note] Although now in the midst of an NFT space that sometimes seems oversaturated with meaningless launches and offers, Bran's NFT art collection is deeply inspiring as a British Special Forces Soldier-turned artist. When deployed in Afghanistan, he became inspired to come back with hope from a war-torn country and raise awareness around the more important this in life, such as peace and the environment around us. The aim of Bran's NFT collection goes far beyond a digital collectible. With the support of 'Greenpeace', he sees his collection to construct a peaceful movement and help raise funds for international concerns. He has created stunning art that combines the deadly symbol of an AK47 with butterflies and other inspirational elements of nature and humankind.
[LONDON] Bran Symondson, British soldier-turned-artist, is releasing on Dropspace his first-ever collection of NFTs (non-fungible tokens*) to raise awareness of environmental issues, especially those caused as a result of armed conflicts.
Entitled Kalash 47 - The Art to Disarm, this collection of 2,047 one-of-one NFTs is a combination of Bran's physical AK47 sculptures and new AK47 pieces created exclusively just for the Kalash47 collection.
In his physical art, Bran uses the AK47, arguably the world’s most symbolic and deadliest weapon, as a blank canvas. He then embellishes the AK47 with butterflies, money and other figurative symbols, which are placed on the assault rifle.
"Kalash 47 is a representation of many personal things that have a deep resonance with who I am, where I’ve been, and what I’ve seen,” Bran comments.
“It’s the same as applying patches to a uniform, decorating a school bag with badges that have meaning, or plastering your laptop with stickers that denote what you believe in; the subjects you are projecting are those close to your heart. That's how I have treated this collection. It's more than just a JPEG. It’s personal".
Through this thought-provoking collection, Bran seeks to raise awareness of the environmental damage caused by war, including plastic waste, deforestation, and the decline of bees.
The narrative of each artwork is found within the handmade glass bullets containing commodities related to its individual story. The AK47s which Bran works on are mainly sourced from war zones, and many are marked with tell-tale scars that attest to their former lives.
The aim of the NFT collection is to create an engaging and far-reaching community and to draw NFT enthusiasts into the conversation of global affairs. With the support of Bran's chosen charity 'Greenpeace', this collection could potentially construct a peaceful movement and help raise funds for international concerns.
Kalash 47 - The Art to Disarm took six months of planning and design to ensure each NFT contains the same quality and emotion that the artist brings to his physical work.
The physical artworks were shown at Bran's debut exhibition ‘The Art to Disarm’; 26 November to 9 December 2021 at the 'The House of Fine Art' (HOFA) Gallery in Mayfair, London.
For the first time, the public was able to view Bran's chronicles and walk through his journey, Bran describes his exhibition as a transition; "from battle to the studio to blockchain", rationalizing how war has led him here and the irony that what we witness today is just a modification in digital form.
The minting for Kalash 47 will take place on Sunday 19 December 2021 at 20:47 pm GMT on Dropspace.
