Performance artist and photographer Antonius Oki Wiriadjaja turned to his work to create meaning and laughter, and more than a decade ago he created a Tumblr page documenting his physical and mental recovery after surviving a drive-by shooting.
Wiriadjaja took a similar artistic approach when the pandemic hit, starting an unconventional Instagram account showcasing daily “food face” mask creations. The project, dubbed “Foodmasku,” prompted Wiriadjaja to create one of the first generative photography NFTs, a series in which he photographed over a hundred individual features made from food.
While the New York-based artist’s journey hasn’t always been filled with rainbow-colored food, he’s made a habit of capturing joy and resilience wherever he points his camera. Here’s what you need to know about artist Antonius Oki Wiriadjaja, aka Foodmasku.
His NFT career began after a New York Times feature
Just a few months into his creative project of making masks out of food, the New York Times highlighted Foodmasku’s Instagram account in an article titled “5 Art Accounts to Follow on Instagram.”
The article rediscovered Foodmasku’s work to thousands of people and attracted readers through his short videos of objects such as cheese boards being turned into masks. The newfound attention prompted Foodmasku to research how he could own his work more permanently and better engage with collectors, and soon after, he learned about blockchain technology and NFTs.
It took only a few months for Foodmasku to join the web3 world between the publication of this article in 2020 and his first publication in 2021, and once he did, his creative drive continued to grow, and after releasing his “Bread Proof” genesis series, Foodmasku soon minted “Delectables” on the Ethereum blockchain, which he describes as the first known generative photography project.
“Delectable” is just as food-oriented as it sounds
“Delectables” is a collection of 2,000 NFTs, each with the potential for over 100 properties, with the rarity of the NFTs varying based on the background color, the items Foodmasku uses for the mask, and even the wig sticking out of the mask. Throughout the collection, you’ll see Foodmasku wearing a bowler hat, a self-portrait with pineapple crowns as ears, and more.
Lucky New Yorkers will also be able to see some of Foodmasku’s work in person at his 2022 exhibition at the Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn. In addition to a selection of his works, Foodmasku’s performance art show will include a launch dinner where a couple ate food masks made of his face.
When describing his creative process and style, Foodmasku describes his artistic process as one of restraint. In an interview with NFTs.WTF, he attributed his food photography projects to three main constraints: they must involve food, all food must be edible, and they must be completed within a specific time window.
Foodmasku's platters continue to grow
Since Foodmasku’s “Bread Proofs” genesis series, the artist has continued to make a splash in the NFT food and photography world with his 2022 “Eat Love” NFT series, a four-project project themed “one man’s quest to eat everything under the rainbow.”
His first solo show in New York City, titled What We Eat, Who We Are, included works like the Po’ Boy NFT pictured above, and last year OpenSea also hosted the artist and former Fulbright scholar at its Prides Perspectives gallery.
Regardless of the onlooker’s artistic taste or Foodmasku’s creative appetite, viewing any of his performance art pieces leaves us hungry for more.
OpenSea content you care about
Explore | Collect | Sell | Buy
Bookmark and follow OpenSea Binance Channel
Get the latest news
