are there multiple universes?

welcome to issue #22 of moments, our bi-weekly newsletter. if you’re new here, this is the space where we share product updates, highlights from our community, and a curation of arts & culture from across the internet.

what’s new? you helped us launch galleries and make the feature a huge success. we’ve also been hard at work on monetization for primitives creators 👀 and planning for two upcoming nyc gallery shows (more details below!)

last week we launched galleries, a new way to curate and display your art. it’s an understatement to say we were blown away by the kinds of galleries you made and the creativity that went it them.

originally, we had opened galleries to everyone for a week-long test. we’re excited to share that we’re extended the period to claim you gallery by another week based on the strong response to the launch!

you now have until this friday (11/3) to claim your gallery – after that, galleries will be available only to community members who have reached apprentice status or earned 50 points.

this week’s featured creator is digital artist marcell key (@anfaslim). we sat down with him recently to talk about the origins of his artistic practice, inspiration from nasa, and advice for aspiring creatives.

what inspires you?

mostly, everyday life. on daily walks i look around my surroundings in terms of the architecture of buildings to the colors of the gravel or the ground. most of my work comes from inspirations via my daydreams.

and if i'm not outside, i'm on my phone looking at nasa images. i deep dive into somewhat scientific things a lot of times. there are multiple universes in our world and other worlds.

what are the origins of your name, anfaslim?

i wanted it to be powerful and hold some significance. “anfa” stuck with me because it means self respect and dignity in arabic, which are characteristics i focus on when it came to creating my work. i want people to respect what that i put into my craft and not minimize my life to a hobby.

what does it mean to be a creator or an artist? what weight does that carry?

being creative is life for me. it's never ending. you don't know how much of an influence you have until you start doing things. i also love that art can be both relatable and nostalgic.

what has your experience been like on primitives?

i think a lot of apps lost their vision or their mission for creatives. i see you guys bringing back the vision that all creative apps should have been doing in the beginning, working for the creatives, curating for creatives, wanting people to be more involved.

we’re hosting two gallery events in nyc on november 2nd and 16th, in collaboration with our friends at gotham. you can expect curated art from the primitives community, new works for sale (physical and digital copies!), drinks, exclusive merch, and more. we’d love to see you there.

• where artists are present and in charge

• maya lin’s mesmerizing plant-based nfts

• is ed ruscha the most stylish american artist?

• this whirlwind tour through mexico city’s art scene