The Boss Beauties NFT collection serves a mission to show that every young woman can become what she wants to be.Photo provided by Marion Ben-Lisa
The Boss Beauties NFT collection serves a mission to show that every young woman can become what she wants to be.Photo provided by Marion Ben-Lisa

 

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), have been the talk of the town for the past few years. While some are purchasing them for hundreds and even thousands of dollars, others question if their investment value will actually live up to expectations. Among such controversial remarks was the fact that NFT art sales were mostly benefiting male creators. According to a research agency ArtTactic, female NFT artists accounted for a mere five percent of the sales over the 21 months preceding November 2021.


Many have acknowledged this phenomenon and embarked on projects and businesses to encourage women in the field of NFTs. Boss Beauties, a women-led global initiative and NFT company on a mission to uplift young women, is one such group. They have made substantial achievements including creating the first NFT art collection to ever be displayed at the United Nations and the New York Stock Exchange.


Marion Ben-Lisa, the artist behind the truly beautiful NFT artworks of Boss Beauties, shared her story of how she is partaking in female empowerment through her work.


Passionate about visual arts and illustration, Ben-Lisa started taking drawing lessons at a young age and has been attracted to the world of image and communication ever since she could remember. She decided to walk down the path as a graphic designer when first encountering it in design school.


Wishing to spend more time on projects around illustration with her own independent artistic direction, she started her own business and is currently working as a freelancer. She has taken on a variety of projects including creating unique designs for brands' packaging and social media and providing illustrations for press articles. Above all, Ben-Lisa especially set her heart on projects related to women empowerment.


“I am very sensitive to the world of fashion and feminism, so as soon as a project touches on this universe, I go for it!” she said.


Boss Beauties contacted Ben-Lisa after viewing works she had displayed on her Béhance profile.


“I did not fully know what an NFT was at that time, but I absolutely loved their concept,” she said. “The Boss Beauties NFT collection's mission is to show that every young woman can become what she wants to be, and as a way to support it, part of the proceeds is directly donated to the education of young girls around the world. As a person who, thankfully, has had the opportunity to do long studies and pursue her dream her, I personally resonated with the belief that education makes dreams come true.”


Ben-Lisa's graphic style was a perfect fit with the goals of Boss Beauties. She works with flash colors and flat designs, conveying strong emotions despite minimal curves, all while drawing powerful, inspiring women.


Reaching an agreement, the collaboration quickly got down to work, creating 10,000 illustrations in short order—Ben-Lisa recalls it being a very intense period of time.


“The most difficult part was the beginning of the project because we had to set up a template where different face shapes, costumes, haircuts, accessories, and background matched perfectly with each other in every portrait,” she explained. “Creating 10,000 portraits at once, we had to make sure each combination was fun, strong and original as well.”


Despite the hectic process, she describes it as a creative experience. Since she has a great interest in fashion, she especially enjoyed drawing all the costumes herself, adoring how they made the characters come to life.


Working with projects like the Boss Beauties NFT collection, Ben-Lisa says she feels free and fulfilled. For young students currently working hard on their way to achieve dreams just like her, she shared some words of advice.

“Share with other people, because although the world of art and design can be competitive, ideas become stronger when shared and you never know—you might meet your future collaborators on your way,” Ben-Lisa advised. “It is also important to develop your own style and personality through personal projects rather than only work with projects at school or for clients. Lastly, be active on social media, whether it be a simple Instagram account or a Béhance portfolio. It will open you up to so many opportunities—it is how I got my first clients!”

저작권자 © Ewha Voice 무단전재 및 재배포 금지