— Handmade Against
the Algorithm

P03Illustration

Supmates NFTs

SUPMATES is a collection of 100 individually illustrated NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. Each character represents a different mental health trait or condition, designed by hand, not by algorithm. The project was conceived as a nonprofit initiative, using art to bring visibility to experiences that often go unspoken.

Info

Project

SUPMATES was conceived during the pandemic as a hand-illustrated NFT collection with a philanthropic mission, 100 characters, each representing a different aspect of mental health, designed entirely without generative tools or algorithmic variation. A deliberate rejection of the assembly-line logic that defined most NFT projects at the time. Seventy per cent of proceeds are committed to organisations like Mind (UK), exploring blockchain-based fundraising as a new model for mental health advocacy.

The real design challenge was one of family and individuality. Working from a shared compositional template, each character had to carry its own spirit, quirk, and emotional register, while remaining unmistakably part of the same world. Colour, expression, and hand-drawn detail became the tools of differentiation. For me, it was also a deliberate step outside the comfort zone of graphic design, into illustration and character craft, where the rules are different and the work more exposed.

Role

Illustration & Character Design

Studio

Freelance

Output

Character Design, NFTs collection