Baltimore-native artist Vinnie Hager, renowned for his distinctive and bold use of lines, shapes, and patterns, and popular NFT collection, ‘Letters,’ will release a deeply personal artistic endeavor on September 7. Titled ‘Diary,’ this collection of 100 1/1s and a generative open edition offers audiences a glimpse into Hager’s artistic journey from his initial foray into drawing in 2016 to the present day.

Through ‘Diary,’ Hager intends to offer an authentic window into his creative evolution and deeply rooted emotions, a sentiment he candidly shared during a conversation with nft now.

An archive of growth

Hager says the idea for ‘Diary’ all started during a visit to his grandma’s house. He found a bunch of saved drawings, paintings, and doodles over the years and wanted to do something special with them.

“I took out a batch of 100 drawings that I felt really told a story about myself throughout the past seven years,” he said. “There were turbulent personal times, and this body of work tells the story to some degree.”

His collection will feature the 100 1/1 drawings, and minters will get digital and physical versions.

He said he showed many friends his visual eras of artwork and ultimately worked with fellow creator Danny Cole of Creature World to categorize and add a generative art aspect to his drawings.

“There will be 12 categories of the 100 drawings,” Hager said. “Each one is a visual style. The categories range from bold lines of patterns, different media elements, and portraits, and there are ones where I used more texts and dates, etc.”

All physical drawings were drawn by Hager throughout 2016-2023, with the new inclusion being the generatively produced additions.

An exploration of the past

Beneath the lines, hues, and intricate patterns lies a tapestry woven with profound personal tribulations – the loss of his parents and brother.

“The main personal thing that I went through that made me put my head down and focus on art is the passing of both of my parents,” Hager shared. “It was a turbulent four to five years, but artwork was something that was there for me. It was a therapeutic thing for me.”

Through these artworks, Vinnie Hager aims to articulate the profound impact of his creative practice and therapeutic artistry, which emerged as his guiding light during moments of adversity. This profound journey enabled him to transcend challenges and discover fresh avenues for growth, connection, and self-expression, a story he ardently seeks to share with the world.

As time matured his perspective, Hager found solace and self-discovery in looking back at his old drawings.

“Growing older and now looking back, and seeing what I had to say and express through drawing,” Hager said. “It was nice for me to look back and do a deep dive into my thoughts and emotions.”

After sharing a short video snippet on his Twitter account, Hager says he will premiere a longer form mini-documentary around 10 minutes and will be released before September 7.

Throughout two years in the NFT space, Hager has partnered and worked with brands, including Meta/Instagram, Tommy Hilfiger, TIME Magazine, OpenSea, Cameo, and more. Now, after cultivating his audience and expanding his collector community through art, Hager wants to use ‘Diary’ to build on the profound connection he has with those genuinely interested in his work.

Exclusively debuting on OpenSea and crafted in collaboration with Creature Labs, the sale will be open for a 24-hour window, starting at 2 p.m. EST on September 7. The mint price will be 0.049 ETH.

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