Itzel Yard– known as IX shells has been widely celebrated as the leading female artist in generative art and in the NFT movement. As a child, the Panamanian artist discovered her talent for coding while playing video games, and has continued her education through formal studies as well as online resources. Like the inspirational female icons of the mid-century generative art scene such as Lillian Schwartz, Murial Cooper, and Vera Molnar, Yard has set a precedent for girls and women fascinated with a future in computer science. Drawing on her initial studies in art direction, Yard uses creativity as a door through which to explore different ways of presenting herself, ultimately allowing her to view the creative process as an opportunity to manifest a safe space. In doing so, Yard attaches a secondary narrative of personal familiarity and tranquility to the digitally coded language seen in her work. Her gentle nature, personable warmth, and direct approach to the creation of her artwork produces a visual sincerity that is unmatched.

English translation:
“The truth is, learning to program art relaxed me a lot, it greatly expanded my imagination, I can see forms beyond the patterns, I can analyze the movement of the patterns and conjugate it with sounds, I can see which sounds are related to certain movements."

Sotheby’s is thrilled to steward the first sale of a NFT that is also accompanied by a physical print by Yard, Beyond Recognition. Influenced by her fascination with structure and patterns, the formal quality of the work is a wonderful example of the expressive control Yard has over her generative process. The liminal, graphite-seeming effect creates an unexpected sense of space. The rough finish of the paper amplifies the texture of the infinite flow of waves and subtle value gradations, reinforcing the idea of melding a digital world with a tangible space.