Artwork
Memories of Qilin #676
Memories of Qilin #345
On-chain algorithm, NFT, and Ethereum blockchain, 2022
Private collection
It’s almost hard to believe that the works in Emily Xie’s Memories of Qilin series are entirely generated with code. Xie drew inspiration from the sense of movement and fluidity found in traditional Chinese paintings as well as from the colors, patterns, and forms of East Asian textiles and Japanese woodblock prints. The resulting algorithm produces intricate, layered compositions that mimic handmade crafts. The organic, flowing forms are set against textured backgrounds that are reminiscent of aged paper or fabric, complete with artificial water stains.
Conceptually, the series of 1,024 unique works celebrates East Asian folklore and mythology. The title references the qilin, a fabled beast who represents prosperity and luck in many Asian cultures. (While qilin is its Chinese name, it is also known as girin in Korea and kirin in Japan.) The work’s generative imagery evokes the shape-shifting, enigmatic nature of the mythological creature as well as the elusiveness of memory itself.
Distance #196
Distance #198
Custom software, NFT, and Ethereum blockchain, 2023 (image adapted for display 2025)
Private collection
As skilled with paint, ink, and pastels as he is with code, William Mapan often moves between the computer and the page. He translates algorithmic outputs into works on paper, then converts the organic textures back into code. The resulting generative works simulate the uneven application of pigment, textured grain of paper, and visible brush strokes of his physical artworks, bringing a sense of tactility to the digital works.
Distance was created in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in response to the 1914 watercolor In the Kairouan Style, Transposed in a Moderate Way by Paul Klee. Klee’s playful yet structured approach has inspired many generative artists. Mapan was attracted to the tension between Klee’s rigid, grid-like composition and delicate, harmonious use of watercolor. He interprets Klee’s grids as akin to “aerial views” and says that the series Distance “is about standing back, about seeing the bigger picture.”
Color Blinds Study #13
Color Blinds Study #4
Custom software, looping video, NFT, and Ethereum blockchain, 2023
Private collection
Inspired by a childhood memory of watching patterns emerge as light passed through Venetian window blinds, Zach Lieberman recreated this sensation with code. Starting with a digital striped material that simulates different lens effects, each Color Blinds Study diffuses, filters, and scatters light and color to produce shifting gradients and subtle interplays of light and shadow. The works might evoke the passing of time, the setting sun, or flickering city lights seen through a frosted window.
Unlike long-form generative artists, who do not curate the outputs produced by their algorithms, Lieberman prefers to have more control. He works collaboratively with the generative system to explore the possibilities of his model in search of new and surprising results. When he sees something that captures the feeling or idea he hopes to express, he saves and exports it. “I not only make the system, but I am also documenting it. I feel like it’s my responsibility as an artist to make choices,” he says.