Jediwolf is a well-known collector whose passion for art bridges the traditional and digital worlds. A lifelong admirer of classical painting and music, he brings that same curiosity and care to blockchain art. Through his curated collections under the personas UnderTheGAN and _overeXposed_, he explores the roots of AI art and the early days of crypto creativity, helping document how these movements have evolved and why they matter.

In this conversation, Jediwolf shares what draws him to certain works, how his collections took shape, and the stories behind some of his most meaningful pieces. From discovering early AI pioneers to chasing XCOPY’s Last Selfie, he offers an inside look at what it means to collect with both passion and purpose. 

OpenSea: What was your first meaningful interaction with art, whether traditional or digital, and how did it lead you into the world of blockchain-collecting?

Jediwolf: Art has always had a kind of magic over me - both visual and musical. For most of my life, I leaned toward the traditional: the old masters, classical compositions, the “perfection-chasing” ideals that felt like the only relevant direction. I used to lose myself in Brueghel and Bosch, hunting for hidden meanings in their works, buying albums, wandering through museums. That’s always been one of my little passions.

I bought my first physical artwork about 20 years ago, and I’ve collected all sorts of things since. But it still surprises me that this passion found its footing in the digital art world. Maybe it’s because there’s still so much unexplored territory - and this process of discovery, of learning not just about art but about myself, continues to thrill me.

I remember back in 2017, when I got so annoyed by CryptoKitties and Ethereum getting heavily clogged that I didn’t pay attention to anything NFT-related again until 2021. Yet when I finally went deeper down the tokenized art rabbit hole, I was lost for good. The brilliance and genius of the artists here keep me in constant amazement.

As a collector of physical objects, I’ve found that once you experience the value proposition of blockchain and tokenized art, there’s no going back. I see myself as a trad collector completely converted to a blockchain-based one. In the end, art is about energy - and that energy flows even better through digital, immaterial forms.

OpenSea: Everyone has a unique list of criteria for curating artworks into a collection: what are yours?

Jediwolf: I’d say my criteria are a bit strange. I’ve seen an enormous amount of incredible art, but over time I started noticing a small pattern - certain pieces just wouldn’t leave me alone. They kept resurfacing in my mind. I began to pay closer attention to that, to listen more carefully to that quiet voice.

For example, I’d been watching the Nakamoto Card and Deafbeef’s works for almost four years before I finally got some of them - they haunted me long enough. Some artworks simply won’t let you go, and when that happens, I tend to follow my gut and my heart. The same story goes for the Ghost Chromie Squiggle. I love them all, but there’s this one type - a gently fading squiggle on a white background - that I’d been chasing for two years before I finally managed to get it.

Also, expanding my collection and discovering new artists is something I really enjoy. When I look at a new piece or style and I “hear the music,” that’s when I know I should make a move. 1dontknows, Modest, Flo Meissner, Eleni, R.J., and so many other wonderful artists fall into that category.

OpenSea: Can you tell us a bit about how you’re curating your collection between your “UnderTheGAN” and “_overeXposed_” personas?

Jediwolf: I’ve come to see that a “collection” is less about the specific art itself and more about the story and vision behind it. That’s where collecting becomes a creative act of its own. I only realized this recently, after the ideas for my two collections had already taken shape.

When Midjourney appeared, I remember how everything clicked. Suddenly, Robbie Barrat’s 2018 “Lost Robbies” (AI Generated Nude Portraits) made perfect sense - all the imperfection and “ugliness,” as some say, moving toward the perfection we’re witnessing in AI today. That was the moment I started to grasp the significance of early AI art and its impact. I began researching its beginnings and quickly realized how little had been documented. So I went deep. Months of research led to the Early AI Art Timeline and eventually to a collection I called UnderTheGAN, focused on the origins of AI art and its key contributors.

It turned into an obsession - but a good one. The goal was simple: to identify the artists and technologists who shaped the foundation of the AI art we know today, and to show where it all started. I’ve tried to collect as many works as possible from pioneers like Robbie Barrat, Mario Klingemann, Gene Kogan, Mike Tyka, Alex Mordvintsev, Pindar Van Arman and others who defined this movement early on. Breakthrough after breakthrough, it began to take shape - and that structure became UnderTheGAN, named after the early AI art technology Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs).

But all of this was possible thanks to my passion for XCOPY’s art, as this part of my collecting truly defined the serious approach and “know-how” I’ve acquired - and have since been able to apply to my broader collecting of AI art as well. The overeXposed collection was primarily focused on XCOPY’s works, which, to me, document the early days of crypto and its drama. Later, the collection expanded into what I like to think of as a crypto/tokenized art museum.

One of my goals is to highlight different eras of our space - starting with Rare Pepes and Spells of Genesis - to showcase the incredible art and collectibles that have emerged along the way. This collection includes works from many wonderful artists, such as ACK, Snowfro, Deafbeef, Mitchell F. Chan, Matt Kane, and many others.

OpenSea: Can you share one acquisition that stands out? Either because it nearly slipped away, took an obsessive hunt, or changed your collection significantly, and why does it matter to you?

Jediwolf: What can I say? Undoubtedly, it was “Last Selfie” by XCOPY. My hunt began at the lowest depths of the bear market, after Luna and FTX collapsed. I thought, “OK, as people believe crypto is over, it should be easy to get one of ten, since it’s a 10/10 edition.” I was so wrong. When I started reaching out one by one to all the collectors holding it, and placing numerous bids on OpenSea, I couldn’t find anyone willing to let it go.

Eventually, it was pure luck - one of the original minters decided to list it out of the blue, and I was fortunate enough to secure it just moments later. The joy was, and still is, immense. I paid an ATH price in ETH and saw it as a blessing I’d been given. I can’t quite explain it, but it was a powerful feeling back then - one that has since materialized in different ways, brought new friendships, and continues to give me a lot of happiness. Cheers to all the friends from The Doomed DAO!

OpenSea: What’s one artwork that’s eluded your collection so far? What is so special about it that makes you want to own it?

Jediwolf: I would love to finally get the Aluminum Gazer by Matt Kane (there are 58 of them). I haven’t put in all the effort I could so far to get it, as my focus has been elsewhere - but it’s on my list, and the time will come! I think Gazers and its underlying concept stand among the very best generative art collections - utilizing all the incredible features that the blockchain offers, not to mention the genius of Matt Kane and how far ahead of his time he was when releasing them.

OpenSea: You recently interviewed Sam Spratt in an extremely thoughtful thread on X. How did your relationship with him and his artwork change after conducting it? Do you feel like the people who read the interview also experienced that change?

Jediwolf: I started this series of interviews a few years ago to learn - I had so many questions. I wanted to absorb as much knowledge as possible from the collectors and artists I respect and admire. Over time, I realized it also offers a chance to look deep into the soul of an artist. I think that’s exactly what happened in this last interview. Sam was very sincere and authentic; he shared so many valuable thoughts and pieces of wisdom. I’m still digesting it all. The one that will stay with me is his phrase: “Give as you breathe.” It keeps echoing in my head.

I hope other collectors learn from and enjoy these interviews as much as I do.

OpenSea: Your collection spans from early blockchain artifacts to modern day pieces. Do you think your collection will ever be “finished?”

Jediwolf: I perceive art as the ultimate storage of energy and value - something we all intuitively appreciate and adore, regardless of continent, religion, or language. I also believe we’re entering an era of unprecedented challenges, where humanity - because of AI - will question what is truly valuable. In that context, I think art and provably scarce objects sit at the very top of the curve. I can’t imagine my passion dimming - it’s just so much more fun than simply "holding" BTC or ETH (though I still hold some, while being irresponsibly overeXposed to tokenized art). It brings me joy and connects me with people I love spending time with.

OpenSea: If someone is just entering the digital art collecting space, what are your top three pieces of advice?

Jediwolf: Collect art that comes back to you. Over and over again. When you feel that the piece collected you - and not the other way around - that’s where the magic is unlocked.

Collecting is about building a collection. Build one, give it a name, and a chance to tell its own story. In doing so, you’ll become a bit of an artist yourself.

Art is love. Allow it to flow through you and become its channel within this unique network. As Sam said - Give as you breathe.

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