Interpreting the NFT "Stone of曜变": A Collision of Nature, Life, and Technology
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Interpreting the NFT "Stone of曜变": A Collision of Nature, Life, and Technology
NFTs are unique in terms of "technology," but uniqueness in terms of "value" requires consensus.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAn NFT is uniquely identifiable in terms of "technology," but its uniqueness in "value" requires consensus.
Consensus arises from recognition of intrinsic expression. For example, PFP (Profile Picture) NFTs express community belonging, anonymity, rebellion, and self-contained joy. Since CryptoPunks and continuing with Bored Ape Yacht Club, PFP NFTs have seemingly dominated the evolution of NFTs.
A key feature of such NFTs is their ability to consolidate community power through endorsements and marketing, amplifying their presence in trading markets.
Beyond PFP NFTs, there are also more sophisticated, profound, and diverse artistic NFTs. Behind these art-centric NFTs often lies the established influence of the artist themselves.
If we consider each artist’s philosophy as a universe, then their artworks become reflections of that “universe” or “idea.” Thus, we witness unique masterpieces creating sensations at auctions—the essence being public acknowledgment of the work’s intrinsic value and conceptual depth, which more readily fosters consensus.
What kind of sparks might fly when such expressions begin exploring nature and life, merging them with NFT technology? Will they gain even greater recognition in value?
Huang Yuxing, a renowned painter who has set auction records for works by Chinese artists, brings his "Meta-morphic - Starlight Stones" to offer us possible answers.
About Huang Yuxing
"Meta-morphic is my first NFT work. This new medium allows me to explore anew the recurring themes in my art—minerals, bubbles, rivers—and broader ideas about nature and time, marking a significant phase in my artistic journey."
Huang Yuxing, previously uninvolved in digital art, has found renewed passion through this novel artistic form.
Born in 1975, Huang graduated from the Mural Painting Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2000. His most recent auction took place at Christie's, where his painting Seven Treasure Pines sold for 64.8 million HKD (8.3 million USD), over thirteen times its highest estimate—setting a record for auction prices achieved by Chinese artists born after 1970.
Huang Yuxing, Seven Treasure Pines, 2019
Drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese landscape painting, Huang creates with intense, almost abstract, hyper-modern colors that leave a lasting impression on viewers.
In 2021, Huang ranked among the top three Chinese artists by transaction volume, exceeding 100 million RMB in sales.
Regarding NFTs and crypto art, Huang is deeply curious.
He said: "The field of digital art is entirely new to me. I’ve entered it driven purely by curiosity—a desire to explore unknown territory."
When discussing his work, Professor Huang focuses less on artistic media or technique and more on his thoughts and creative process—how consciousness shapes art, and what ideas he wishes to convey to audiences.
By embracing this new medium—merging NFTs with art—Huang can fullyintegrate his own consciousness with that of every NFT holder, enabling conscious interpretation of each richly layered and meaning-laden NFT by a broad audience.
Meta-morphic Starlight Stones: A Collision of Nature, Life, and Technology
Meta-morphic Starlight Stones is a series of algorithmically generated NFT artworks created by artist Huang Yuxing. The collection consists of 2,197 mysterious Seven Treasures NFT boxes (gemstones and minerals).
What Are the Seven Treasures?
This series draws from seven sacred gems: red coral, agate, pearl, gold, silver, turquoise, and conch shell. Each represents one of seven powers: luck, creativity, health, longevity, purity, protection, and auspiciousness.
Interestingly, the character “Yao” (曜) not only means radiance but traditionally refers to the sun, moon, and stars.
Moreover, the sun, moon, and five visible planets—fire (Mars), water (Mercury), wood (Jupiter), metal (Venus), and earth (Saturn)—are collectively known as theSeven Luminaries (Qiyao), perfectly aligning with Huang Yuxing’s concept of the Seven Treasures.
Natural elements compose the stones, mountains, rivers, and lakes;
Technological elements constitute the new medium—hashes, timestamps, and NFTs.
Emerging from painting yet transcending it, all 2,197 Meta-morphic Starlight Stones NFTs will be generated using 3D design and cryptographic algorithms. Each Starlight Stone NFT is a gem floating in multidimensional space—distinct in form and meaning.Physical stones eventually erode, but the 2,197 Starlight Stones composed of the Seven Treasures will achieve permanence through NFTs.
Visual preview of 'Meta-morphic - Starlight Stones' NFT blind box series
Explaining why gemstones were chosen as the central motif for this inaugural NFT series, Professor Huang said, "Gemstones lie at the heart of my artistic practice. I've engaged deeply with gems and minerals for many years."
These stones mark the first chapter of Meta-morphic. In the two subsequent chapters, artist Huang Yuxing will continue using symbolic motifs of "gemstones," "bubbles," "rivers," and "pines" to create synthetic artworks rooted in, yet surpassing, nature.
For artist Huang Yuxing, these symbols in Meta-morphic are deeply intentional.
Take the "river," for instance. Huang believes: "A river itself is directional—it reflects my earliest understanding of life. I interpret 'treasure' as a sense of wisdom and civilization. At the same time, it nurtures many other things—symbolizing power, wealth, and countless unknowns in religion or politics. It can be interpreted in many ways, offering people a broader scope of meaning."
In the creation process of Meta-morphic NFTs, we observe a transformation from the concrete to the abstract, seeing how even a small pebble may contain a reflection of the cosmos.
Perhaps only after gradually understanding Meta-morphic and Professor Huang’s creative philosophy can we grasp the deeper meaning behind its name—“Meta” (the fundamental) and “Morphic” (form). Gemstones, bubbles, rivers, and pines are all “meta-imagery.” Through these meta-images, the artist expresses his understanding of nature, life, events, and wisdom.
From the moment the artwork is born and collectors open their blind boxes, the piece no longer belongs solely to one creator or collector—it belongs to Huang Yuxing and every holder of the Meta-morphic NFT collection.
As Professor Huang puts it: "A hundred people hold a hundred definitions of a gemstone—each sees what they bring. Differing worldviews, values, and personal histories lead to different interpretations. The meaning depends entirely on the individual’s own perception."
Value is thus created—and shared.
And this is precisely the mission of LiveArt, the platform behind this release—to connect the art world with Web3, empowering more artists, collectors, and collaborators to experience the power of art through this new medium across multiple dimensions.
LiveArt: A New Paradise for Artists
Beyond the artist’s passionate creation, the launch of Meta-morphic has received full support from Web3 NFT art platform LiveArt.
As Marisa Kayyem, Chief Curator of LiveArt, mentioned during an AMA: "LiveArt is committed to bringing exceptional artists into Web3. Digital art carries thematic depth and cultural value, transforming both how artists create and how collectors collect. We aim to bring Professor Huang’s extraordinary artistic vision to the community, allowing people to experience it in new forms. That’s the origin of the Meta-morphic series."
What fundamentally distinguishes Web3 art platforms from Web2 ones?
For artists, Web3 digital art offers a completely new mode of creation, enabling richer and more dynamic forms of artistic expression. Empowered by Web3 platforms, artists can quickly reach wider audiences of collectors.
For collectors, NFT art ownership fosters communities where interpretation evolves beyond solitary appreciation into collective resonance.
In this transformation of platform attributes and reconfiguration of relationships, blockchain technology plays a pivotal role—NFTs ensure ownership rights for collectors, safeguarding both individual权益and the long-term value of their collections amidst communal engagement.
The creation and collecting of digital art is becoming a new trend—and LiveArt is rising with it.
The first chapter of Meta-morphic—the Seven Treasures NFT—will launch on LiveArt on September 23, 2022, releasing a total of 800 mystery boxes. Early participants, members of the LiveArt community, and LiveArt VIPs will have opportunities to join this initial drop.
Following the first release, 1,200 additional mystery boxes will be distributed via public sale.
All mystery boxes will reveal their contents by late September to early October. Then, the full collision of nature, life, and technology will unfold before our eyes—stay tuned!
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