On November 10th, 2021, Punevyr’s face was minted on the first day of the nascent fxhash platform's beta era. The project arrived with a simple description reading, “this is my face, pls be nice.” As the fourth project released on fxhash (minted just after ciphrd’s landmark RGB Elementary Cellular Automaton), Punevyr’s face speaks directly to the platform’s promise of creative freedom, thus giving artists creative rein to experiment at will.

Each face iteration is composed of png images and, funnily enough, the set contains some duplicates due to pngs being layered in the same way. Even this fact helped endear Punevyr’s face to collectors – it feels authentic, humorous, and distinctly beta, reminding us of what it felt like to arrive on fxhash for the first time. However, there is another crucial first here. Punevyr’s face is also the first-ever PFP project on fxhash, and, in classic Punevyr form, all 100 editions were minted for free.

The project was originally just a test mint for Punevyr. The platform was brand new, unproven, and so Punevyr figured it was a good way to experiment. That explains the project’s simplistic features, containing only a few traits and a seemingly random “Discount” value. Other features include head, eyes, pupils, and mouth, as well as slight color and size variations. Avid Punevyr collectors have surely noticed that the colors found in face are now staples in all of his creations.

Since face, Punevyr’s style and ability have become increasingly technical and impressive, bringing historical relevance to this seemingly innocuous PFP. Why? Because Punevyr started creating generative art when he learned about fxhash on November 6th, 2021, a mere four days before minting face. So, one can say Punevyr’s body of work almost mimics the maturation of the platform at large – both continuing their growth to the benefit of all collectors.

After speaking with Punevyr, I’m left with the impression that he could never have imagined that face would take on the cultural importance it has today, nor would he have imagined it selling for hundreds of tez as a valued collector item. Now here we are, months later, and Punevyr continues to see success after releasing several cherished projects. Yet it's his face that stands tall as the true Punevyr grail amongst all of his works.

Punevyr’s face is one of the simplest, rarest, and most magnificent pieces in all of fxhash, in my book. It may not be a Fidenza, but it encompasses the spirit of experimentation, abstraction, and lawlessness of fxhash generative art. Many curated platforms would have denied this work and would think of it as low quality or low effort. But to me and many others, it is beautiful and empowering.

Anyone can just set a goal and reach it. Anyone can be an artist and create inspiration through code. I’m thrilled that Punevyr made this project and even happier that it is recognized within the fxhash community as a truly legendary collection.