✨ This week we chatted with @sunnysangwan, the mind behind @pkok_art and The Pkok Foundation, who’s also curating a handpicked selection from their own collection, today highlighted on top of our home page. Sunny shares fascinating thoughts on provenance, and why both blockchain and photography matter for art. Read below! 👇

🔵 What do you look for when collecting? Should it resonate with you, be profitable in the future? Is there a style you prefer? Sunny: I collect in a few different ways. At the core, I gravitate toward art that either personally resonates with me or fits more broadly into the collection. There are several ongoing themes I've been collecting into and actively seek to add art into them from time to time. I gravitate much more towards networked art because that communal aspect of NFTs fascinates me the most. There's something special about shared ownership with others. I also love collecting from artists who are early in their journey or experimenting with new ideas. I equally enjoy collecting from community-driven events, fundraisers, celebrations etc. Tezos community events are a beautiful way to exercise the power of art for doing good. Photography, unsurprisingly, remains my favorite medium. As an avid photographer, I see photography, especially street and documentary photography, as a preservation layer. In an era of make believe with AI, I believe photography will only grow in importance as a way of recording and honoring the world as it was, and as it is. 🖼️ Ebb and Flow 🖼️ Swallow by Violet Bond @VioletBondArt from the collection of @sunnysangwan

🔵 And when did you decide to start curating too? Tell us a little about @pkok_art Sunny: Curating came out of necessity. Once my collection started growing, I asked myself: what do I do with all this art? Beyond that, I felt a personal responsibility as a custodian to ensure the work lived on. To me, collecting also means telling stories and ensuring art in the collection is seen and appreciated. I had never curated before, so imposter syndrome was (and still is) very real. Coming from no formal art background and finding myself among some of the most visionary artists of our generation is intimidating. But that same sense of responsibility pushed me to start curating first from within my collection, and then more broadly. Pkok was born from those early questions: What will I do with this art? and later, What will become of it after I’m gone? Over the past few years, I’ve built a multi-chain collection of thousands of artworks by hundreds of remarkable creators. Today, Pkok serves as the custodian of much of that collection, and my vision is to grow it into one of the most vibrant private digital art collections, while telling many stories along the way. Alongside, we’ve also launched The Pkok Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on using art as a force for good, supporting artists, communities, and causes close to our hearts.

🔵 How many pieces do you have in your Tezos collection, and what’s one that means a lot to you? Sunny: I’ve collected around 4,500 unique artworks on Tezos so far. It’s hard to pick just one or even a few, my collection is full of works that mean a great deal to me. But I can say I’m consistently drawn to certain kinds of art: collaborative works, self-portraits, 3D sculptures, protest art, pieces exploring culture and identity, as well as double exposure photography and diptychs. Over the years, I’ve made a conscious effort to collect these threads, and together they’ve formed a collection I deeply cherish. 🖼️ Lautaro with monstera 🖼️ Francis heading to work 🖼️ Sebastian in the museum 🖼️ selfie by canekzapata @canekzapata from the collection of @sunnysangwan

🔵 In your opinion, which artists on objkt deserve more recognition? Sunny: This is always the toughest question because truly, everyone deserves more recognition. But a few artists I’ve collected from and admire deeply include: @VioletBondArt, @ScorpDag, @canekzapata, @Salawaki_3000, @Heelmonsterrr, @FrancoiseGamma, @alchemic_forest, @colleactor, @Kx________ 🖼️ LOOK MA, NO HANDS! by Salawaki @Salawaki_3000 from the collection of @sunnysangwan

🔵 What advice would you give to someone who wants to start collecting art on Tezos? Sunny: The best way to begin is by starting in the wallet of someone you trust with good taste. Collecting from a wallet like that is like stepping into a pre-curated gallery. From there, don’t be afraid to wallet-hop, explore, and fall down rabbit holes—that’s where the magic is. Tools like objkt make that journey easier and more rewarding. 🖼️ INTENSION by Kx @Kx________ ++++ detail of the piece from the collection of @sunnysangwan