Hefty Art takes artist Arzan Khambatta’s works to the metaverse

(Metaverse is a digital reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality or AR, virtual reality or VR, and cryptocurrencies to allow users to interact virtually. Source: Investopedia)

Khambatta is known for his ‘traditional meets future sculptor’ creations.

As part of the association, Arzan and Hefty will work together to create a limited-edition collection themed around India’s very-first aircraft carrier - the iconic INS Vikrant.
The maritime warship holds a special place in the hearts of all Indians as it was the hero of the 1971 war between India and Pakistan.

Sent to the scrapyard, the ship’s metal was bought by crew members who commissioned Khambatta to create a befitting tribute, which now stands as a landmark in south Mumbai.

Khambatta’s entry into the metaverse with Hefty Art along with Hungama (a leading digital media entertainment company and Polygon (a leading platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development) — will ensure the availability of some of his rare artworks for purchase as digital collectibles in the form of utility based NFTs.

(Non-fungible tokens or NFTs are cryptographic assets on a blockchain with unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from each other. Source: Investopedia)

Hefty, in a release also said that in collaboration with eDao, an entertainment and creator economy focused entity, it is set to bring artists from the media, entertainment, fine art and gaming industries to the world of Web3 in an attempt to create the world's largest entertainment collective.

Built in collaboration with Polygon Studios and genesis partners like Hungama and Hindustan Talkies, eDAO funds and supports NFT projects and launches that feature popular celebrities, record music labels, film studios, artists, gamers and content creators.

With more high-end creations in the pipeline, Hefty Art will grant users access to the metaverse and highlight the richness and diversity of art and culture worldwide.

Along with having Khambatta on board, Hefty Art’s much awaited auction of MF Husain’s art piece ‘Fury’ will kick-off around the second week of May.

It will be the first-of-its-kind ‘phygital’ auction for an artwork by the master, who is also known as ‘The Barefoot Picasso’.

This will be followed by the foray of all Hefty Certified Artists into the Hefty Metaverse, the release said.

Ashish Chowdhry, co-founder, Hindustan Talkies, said, his company is happy to bring a sculptor of Khambatta’s calibre onto their roster.

“We want to create a metaverse that would be an art lover’s delight. Every new association allows us to back new artists and take our vision across platforms and regions,” he said.

Artist Arzan Khambatta said, "With changing times and booming online world, the metaverse is our future. Being able to be a part of that immersive world, I am very happy to showcase my artwork in a different realm altogether. This is going to be a new experience and learning for me that I am looking forward to. I am thankful to Hefty Art and excited for this tribute to the INS Vikrant.”

Neeraj Roy, Managing Director, Hungama, said, “Revolutionising how art is consumed, and how artists are viewed today worldwide, NFTs are just a step ahead, in the way it unleashes new limitless possibilities to showcase their [artists’] work on a global scale.”