Self-Portrait, 2023
Self-Portrait, 2023 is an on-chain artwork issued as a non-fungible token (NFT). The simplified portrait reflects WJP’s identity at a moment when decentralized technology became part of both his artistic practice and his thinking about how art could exist outside traditional systems.
By placing the work on the blockchain, WJP connects self-portraiture with questions of authorship, ownership, and artistic agency. The work reflects the possibility of artists maintaining a more direct relationship with their creations and audiences, without relying entirely on established intermediaries or gatekeepers.
The portrait presents decentralization not only as a technology, but as a shift toward a more open and equitable way for creative work to be made, valued, and shared.