{{Tone|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox company | name = AfroDroids | logo = | type = Privately held company | industry = Digital artwork | founded = September 1st, 2021 | founders = Owo Anietie | hq_location_country = Nigeria | area_served = Africa, Global | key_people = Owo Anietie (CEO) | products = [[NFT]], [[cryptocurrencies]] | website = https://www.afrodroids.io/ }} '''AfroDroids''' is a blockchain-based collection of digital artwork composed of non-fungible tokens ([[Non-fungible token|NFTs]]). It was inspired by the Afrofuturist movement in art. On September 1, 2021, Owo Anietie established AfroDroids.<ref name="afrodroids-by-owo">{{Cite web |title=AfroDroids By Owo NFT statistics |url=https://www.nft-stats.com/collection/afrodroids-by-owo |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=nft-statistics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=T Kelly |first=Adam |date=2022-03-01 |title=NFT Marketplace |url=https://bermudaunicorn.com/ |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=bermudaunicorn (Est. 2024.) |language=en-GB}}</ref>
[[Afrofuturism]] is a collection of media and artists who have a common interest in imagining black futures based on [[African diaspora|Afro-diasporic]] experiences, to address themes and challenges of the [[African diaspora]] through [[technoculture]] and science fiction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moyer |first=Shelby Rowe |title=The Freedom of Afrofuturism |url=https://www.425magazine.com/style/the-freedom-of-afrofuturism/article_02f1b2c7-6a07-5f5b-98d0-1cdd27161150.html |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=425magazine. |language=en}}</ref>
AfroDroids is a 12k PFP NFT project that depicts human life through the eyes of Africans. Each Afrodroid is a piece of art with increasing value and a number of hidden benefits that become apparent as the project advances.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nwangwu |first=Adaora |date=2022-03-01 |title=Interview: Owo Anietie Talks Art, Creating AfroDroids And His NFT Journey |url=https://culturecustodian.com/interview-owo-anietie-talks-art-creating-afrodroids-and-his-nft-journey/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.) |language=en-GB}}</ref>
There have been a total of 12,117 AfroDroids By Owo NFTs. At least one AfroDroids By Owo NTF is now in the wallets of 3,642 owners.<ref name="afrodroids-by-owo"/>
== History == AfroDroids By Owo is well-positioned to provide easy access to both artists and buyers. It is one of the few African art initiatives that uses [[Non-fungible token|NFTs]] to reshape the art world. The work began as the Profile Picture Project, a 12k Ethereum blockchain project. The development of AfroDroids was spurred by NFT's ability to watermark a variety of works without the requirement for a signature. A total of 12,117 unique afrodroid nfts were minted on [[OpenSea|opensea.io]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-01 |title=OWO ANIETIE, THE GUARDIAN OF THE AFRICAN NFTs ART's GALAXY |url=https://techcabal.com/2022/04/01/owo-anietie-the-guardian-of-the-african-nfts-arts-galaxy/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=TechCabal |language=en-US}}</ref>
When AfroDroids by Owo originally started, it allowed anybody to purchase photographs or artwork to use as digital avatars on their social media pages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patton |first=Mary Claire |date=2022-12-06 |title=Seeing realistic avatars on social media? Here's what they are, how to make one and the concerns about them |url=https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/12/06/seeing-realistic-avatars-on-social-media-heres-what-they-are-how-to-make-one-and-the-concerns-about-them/ |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=KSAT |language=en}}</ref> Every AfroDroid pays tribute to its African roots with earrings, beads, and other native components. AfroDriods contribute to charity in addition to rewriting the narrative of artists using [[Non-fungible token|NFTs]].
== Founder == Owo Anietie is one of the most influential Nigerians in the NFT industry. In 2009, he started his work as a professional artist, then moved on to motion design, [[animation]], and digital illustration in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-03-20 |title=Meet The Afrodroids : A Curious African Arts Revolution On The World Stage |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/03/meet-the-afrodroids-a-curious-african-arts-revolution-on-the-world-stage/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2022-05-13 |newspaper=[[Vanguard (Nigeria)|Vanguard]]|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-04-01 |title=Between droids and futurism: The Owo Anietie tale |url=https://editor.guardian.ng/art/between-droids-and-futurism-the-owo-anietie-tale/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2022-05-22 |newspaper=[[The Guardian (Nigeria)|The Guardian]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
Through NFTs, Anietie is already creating an African ecosystem for global-minded artists. To do this, he launched AfroDroids By Owo on September 1, 2021, which is regarded as Africa's largest PFP.<ref name="through-the-lens-of-afrodriods">{{Cite web |last=Brand Press |date=2022-04-01 |title=Telling the African Story Through the Lens of AfroDriods by Owo |url=https://techpoint.africa/2022/04/01/telling-the-african-story-through-the-lens-of-afrodriods-by-owo/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=Techpoint Africa |language=en-US}}</ref>
Owo Anietie is a Nigerian 3D afrofuturism artist who uses a cultural philosophy of science and history to examine the coming intersection of African Diaspora Culture and technology. Anietie is known for not watermarking his art, allowing people to freely use it as long as they don't sell or misuse it.<ref name="through-the-lens-of-afrodriods"/>
He worked as a motion graphic designer, senior motion designer, and creative director at Anakle Limited, Patricia, and Creators Capital, respectively. Pop and R&B singer [[Justin Bieber]], record producer and industry mogul [[Don Jazzy]], to mention a few, have also acquired his works.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mix |first=Pulse |date=2022-03-29 |title=Owo Anietie has given us a new lens to view the world |url=https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/owo-anietie-has-given-us-a-new-lens-to-view-the-world/8jnd62y |access-date=2022-05-22 |newspaper=[[Pulse Nigeria]]|language=en}}</ref>
Anietie's ambition for the next 50 years is to make and release one piece of art every day. He uses his formal talents in advertising, building technology, and multidisciplinary art to develop his [[3D printing|3D]] and motion design-led approach. In a featured interview with GQ South Africa, the Afrodroids program was regarded as one of Africa's most important NFT initiatives, with a value that goes beyond the art works themselves.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Owo Anietie is an Afrofuturist artist on our radar |url=https://www.gq.co.za/culture/owo-anietie-is-an-afrofuturist-artist-on-our-radar-8bfda4cd-346d-4399-8bf9-f5dc5bd91918 |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=gq south Africa |language=en}}</ref>
== Philanthropy ==
*'''The Dream Catcher'''; On March 24, 2022, the Afrodroids community commissioned the Dream Catchers Academy for Girls initiative to operate this academy, which would give formal and artistic education to destitute / orphaned girls.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bop |first=Afrodroids Beep |date=2022-04-26 |title=AfroDroids Transmission: Dream Catchers Academy Opening |url=https://medium.com/afrodroids-transmission/for-wizard-to-edit-735b7a232e1f |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=AfroDroids Transmission |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-04-01 |title=Artiste seeks support for girl-child arts education - The Nation Newspaper |url=https://thenationonlineng.net/artiste-seeks-support-for-girl-child-arts-education/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2022-05-22 |language=en-US|newspaper=[[The Nation (Nigeria)|The Nation]]}}</ref> * Afrodroids donated $500k+ (20% of sales) to a foundation that supports girl education in Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pitch 一 Collaborative presentation software for modern teams. |url=https://pitch.com/v/AfrodroidsLore-x565hu |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=pitch}}</ref>
== Afrodroids In The Metaverse == On November 15, 2021, the inaugural AfroDroids Rave took place.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-02-28 |title=Owo Anietie: From traditional painting to digital art |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/02/owo-anietie-from-traditional-painting-to-digital-art/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2022-05-13 |newspaper=[[Vanguard (Nigeria)|Vanguard]]|language=en-GB}}</ref> CryptoVoxels, a virtual world and [[metaverse]] powered by the [[Ethereum]] blockchain, and AfroDroids acquired land there where players may personalize their avatars and construct structures on their piece of land.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rise of the AfroDroids {{!}} NFT Project by Owo, Nigerian 3D afrofuturism artist |url=https://www.afrodroids.io/#news |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=www.afrodroids.io |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= https://xela.earth/ |title= Xela.earth }} Sunday, 28 August 2022</ref>
== See also == * [[Non-fungible token|NFTs]] * [[Web3]] * [[Decentralized autonomous organization]] * [[Black science fiction]]
== References == {{reflist}}
[[Category:Digital artworks]] [[Category:Graphic design]] [[Category:Non-fungible tokens]]