serhii makhno launches NFTs of ceramic zoomorphic sculptures

by James · November 29, 2022

‘meta dido’ by serhii makhno rolls out as his first nft series

Ukrainian architect and interior designer Sergei Makhno from MAKHNO Studio rolled out ‘META DIDO’, his first NFT collection of ceramic art. The digital tokens reinterpret a series of zoomorphic sculptures created and published by Makhno in 2019 under the name ‘DIDO’. The real ceramic objects reflect ancient Ukrainian folklore, depicting animal-like figures or “miracle animals”, each part of a large family with its own legend.

‘DIDO characters are redefined fantastic beasts living in Ukrainian cities and towns: laughing bears, lions with mustaches, dreaming sheep and grasshoppers with curly tails. They tell stories about the traditions and realities of their country, their lives and what troubles them and gives them joy. Each DIDO has its own life story, but the mission is the same – to protect,’ writes the architect/designer.

Serhii Makhno explored endless animal forms and completed the sculptures in his workshop, creating each as a single copy that lives on in family collections. The first DIDO series recreates the Carpathian family living in the Lanchyn village of Frankivsk, with ten members composed of bears (owners of the water), lions (time keepers) and sheep (symbolizing fear and its overcoming).

DIDO Chub | all images courtesy of MAKHNO Studio

coding Ukrainian traditions to the blockchain

Expanding its ‘META DIDO’ NFT Collection, Serhii Makhno writes: ‘Rethinking the old Ukrainian traditions in architecture, interior design and decor, and translating them into a modern interpretation was part of MAKHNO Studio’s mission. And today we can confidently say that we have taken another step in the future: we have encoded the Ukrainian identity [to] Blockchain.’ That said, this collection will be the first to implement his plans to create a digital art series that transfers a piece of Ukrainian craftsmanship to the virtual world, immortalizing it in Web 3.0.

To maintain the value of each token, Makhno limited the launch to only 8 DIDO NFTs. In addition to the collectible token, each NFT holder will receive a ceramic replica of the sculpture that will be sent to them directly, to any part of the world. Each sculpture is also distinct in color and engraved with a symbolic smart contract address. As all copies are unique, subsequent owners must contact the previous purchaser and discuss shipping terms. 10% of each token sale will be transferred to support the Ukrainian people.

The project has been carried out in collaboration with Bogdan Agafonov, a famous NFT artist for the Ukrainian NFT War Museum, whose works sold for more than half a million dollars. Interested buyers can check out and purchase the collectible at 1stDibs.

DIDO Isho