Meet Costo
UK-based artist Costo Bravo has always been drawn to the intersection of analog and digital art. Having traveled extensively as both a child and an adult, his exposure to diverse cultures, languages, and traditions has deeply influenced his creative process. This multiculturalism fuels his desire to blend the "unblendable," creating unique artistic expressions.
Art has been a lifelong pursuit for Costo Bravo. He started with music and painting lessons at a young age, later branching into various artistic disciplines. When he ventured into the web3 space in 2021, the promise of equal opportunity, worldwide visibility, and self-sovereignty captivated him. It wasn’t long before he explored digital art and eventually discovered Bitcoin ordinals. Just three weeks after Ordinals launched, he inscribed his first pieces in February 2023. Since then, his journey has been filled with experimentation, learning, and forming meaningful connections within the digital art community.
Architectural Fascination and Post-Photography
Costo Bravo's artistic style is constantly evolving, shaped by an interplay of sub-styles that define his creative identity. He is particularly drawn to architecture and post-photography, themes that continue to captivate him. Buildings, in particular, have a special significance for him—he photographs them, manipulates them using AI, collages them, and even deconstructs them. Having lived in major cities for years, he views architecture with both reverence and imagination. His artistic approach oscillates between capturing the beauty in everyday urban life and digitally transforming environments to create alternate worlds.
Post-photography is another realm of exploration for him. The rise of digital tools has enabled endless iterations of ideas, allowing him to merge analog photography with cutting-edge AI, digital collage, and blockchain technology. His process is akin to jazz improvisation—starting with a theme and allowing creativity to take over in an organic, free-flowing manner.
Preserve a Creation
While many artists on Bitcoin integrate block data and recursion into their work, Costo Bravo’s focus is on the immutability and longevity of Bitcoin as a medium rather than using its technical features directly. He sees Bitcoin as the most robust blockchain available, making it the ideal place for long-term preservation of his art.
“The immutability factor really plays a role in the curation phase as well. You don’t want to preserve a creation of yours for hundreds of years unless you’re absolutely sure that it’s worth it. There is no guarantee that a piece will age well, but each new inscription must be something I’m proud of at the moment I put it on-chain.”
This meticulous approach to curation ensures that every inscribed piece holds significance, reinforcing the permanence of his work.
The Birth of Buidlings
Among his notable works, Buidlings holds a special place. This collection of ten 1/1s, inscribed shortly after he discovered Ordinals, was his first experiment in merging film photography with digital manipulation. He captured these architectural pieces on film and digitally altered them to create maximalist compositions—rich in textures, bold colors, and intricate layers.
Interestingly, his Buidlings series has continued to evolve beyond digital art. He has trained AI models using these images, generating new works in his distinct style, which then feed back into his creative process. This self-referential method keeps his art in a state of continuous evolution. He has also brought Buidlings into the physical world through prints, bridging the gap between digital permanence and tangible art forms.
His exploration of post-photographic compositions, including pieces like Print of a Print of a Print and Paperhand, showcases another side of his creativity. These black-and-white works attempt to reconcile the hyperreal gloss of AI-generated imagery with the nostalgic grain of analog film—two seemingly contradictory aesthetics that he blends seamlessly.
A Musical Beginning
Before fully embracing digital art, Costo Bravo had an extensive background in traditional art. Music was his first discipline, and he played in bands, composed soundtracks, and even worked on documentary scores. His formal education in film and media further expanded his artistic skill set, especially in video editing and experimental filmmaking.
Photography has also been a key component of his journey. He learned traditional film development techniques, printing his own photographs in darkrooms. Over time, as traditional artistic disciplines increasingly adopted digital tools, his transition into the digital realm became natural.
Despite this shift, he remains committed to incorporating analog elements into his digital creations. “It makes it more... personal,” he says, emphasizing the importance of a tangible, hands-on aspect in his work.
Surrealism and Glitch Aesthetics
Surrealism has left an indelible mark on his artistic vision. Growing up, he was inspired by Dalí, Chagall, and Magritte, as well as absurdist poetry and movements like nihilism and Dadaism. These influences likely led him to craft impossible, dreamlike visual compositions. His more textured, glitch-infused aesthetics, however, stem from his love of music. The intricate layers and complexities of sound influenced his visual experimentation long before he formally created digital art.
Maintaining originality is an instinctive process for him. He ensures uniqueness by employing a granular, multi-step approach, blending different media, and incorporating manual interventions. “The more alterations I bring to an image, the more unique the result,” he explains. “I also almost systematically involve a manual gesture, either using software or in the physical world, to add that imperfection that comes from human intervention.”
Juggling
Being a digital artist in the web3 era requires adaptability. Today, artists must juggle multiple roles—marketer, content creator, finance expert, community builder, and more. Navigating this complex ecosystem demands continuous learning, quick decision-making, and an openness to innovation.
“The digital world evolves at an exponential pace,” he reflects. “Not only do you have to grasp all these skills, but you also need to constantly keep up with new developments. It’s not easy! But it’s rewarding to be part of the pioneering wave of creators shaping this avant-garde space.”
More to Come
Costo Bravo is focused on refining his body of work and creating his most meaningful pieces yet. Beyond technical advancements in Bitcoin ordinals, he values the strong community that has formed around this ecosystem. His goal is to further develop his artistic style while continuing to experiment with emerging technologies.
“I also hope to attend more real-life events and finally meet the people I’ve been connecting with online for two years now. Hopefully, that will include exhibitions—and maybe I’ll even participate in some of them.”
He has more works and an upcoming collection already inscribed, which he plans to release soon, further contributing to the growing world of Bitcoin-based digital art.
Create What You Want
For emerging artists, Costo Bravo offers simple yet invaluable advice: create however you want and don’t worry about others’ opinions. While validation is important, he stresses the importance of separating the creative process from external pressures.
“This mindset applies beyond art—it’s worth adopting in every aspect of life.”
With a blend of analog nostalgia, digital innovation, and a relentless pursuit of creative authenticity, Costo Bravo continues to push the boundaries of digital art. His work is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of artistic expression in the web3 era.
