Breakdancing medic’s NFT auctioned at Sotheby’s — Grant Yun, NFT creator

Artist name: Grant Riven Yun Location: Milwaukee Date minted first NFT: Feb. 3, 2021Which blockchains? Ethereum, Counterparty (Bitcoin) Who is he? Grant Yun has always been an artist at heart with an early aspiration to have his work featured at a major auction house. A curious and motivated individual, Yun is studying medicine while juggling his work […]

Artist name: Grant Riven Yun 
Location: Milwaukee 
Date minted first NFT: Feb. 3, 2021
Which blockchains? Ethereum, Counterparty (Bitcoin)

Who is he?

Grant Yun has always been an artist at heart with an early aspiration to have his work featured at a major auction house. A curious and motivated individual, Yun is studying medicine while juggling his work as an artist and performing as a breakdancer who has competed all over the United States. 

Since discovering NFTs a little over two years ago, the Wisconsin resident has propelled his art and personal brand into the stratosphere much quicker than hed imagined. With a minimalist style that elicits nostalgic vibes among collectors and his witty personality on Twitter, Yun is slicing out a significant percentage of mindshare amongst digital art fans. 

Before NFTs, I told myself I would become an artist who sells at a large auction house one day because, at the time, that was my only metric through which I knew what it meant to be a successful artist. I had no experience being an artist overall, so that was the only metric I had to measure. 

He reached the metric in October 2022:

Having my work be put up at Sothebys was surreal. I think the most pivotal moment for me was when I signed the contract… It just felt like such a monumental moment.

Yun paid homage to NFTs as the accelerant that helped him achieve what might otherwise have taken a decade. 

Its honestly been surreal. I think that the growth of artists in this space is hyper accelerated. To have achieved what Ive achieved shouldnt happen within a decade. For me, it happened within two years of me joining the space. But, here we are. 

Laundry from the series Northeast sold for 70 ETH on Jan. 28, 2023 ($115,182 equivalent on date of sale).

Casa Roja from Grant Yun Early Works sold for 25 ETH on Jan. 8, 2023 ($31,596.50 equivalent on date of sale).

Links: 

Grant Yun website 
Breakdance record and video
Grails III Artist Reveal Show 
SuperRare