Celebrating PFPs on Tezos
This week, Suburbs Gallery is exhibiting PFPs collections in their Montreal space to celebrate PFP collections on Tezos.
1,400 words, 7 minute read
In this spotlight, we take a closer look at PFP projects on Tezos - collections that go far beyond profile pictures to become expressions of culture, art, and community. Many Tezos-based PFP collections blend generative art, meme culture, hand-drawn illustrations, and experimental code, often with strong community-driven narratives and artistic integrity. From playful reinterpretations like Dickrbuttz, to immersive universes like Neonz, and satirical critiques like Stoopid Avatar Project, these collections reflect the diversity, humor, and innovation of the NFT scene on Tezos.
Keep reading to learn more about some of the most notable PFP projects.
PFP collections displayed at Suburbs Gallery
Dickrbuttz is a collection of 102 NFTs created by Darkfarms and launched in December 2021. The series draws inspiration from existing projects like Tezzards and CryptoDickbutts but is not officially affiliated with them. It’s an homage to various PFP collections and artists in the crypto space. Darkfarms is known to involve remixing and parodying existing cultural elements, contributing to the broader meme culture within the web3 community.
DICKRBUTTS #24 and DICKRBUTTS #87
Ottez is a collection of 4,007 generative artworks created by artists wwwombats and paggyalmeyda from January 2022. The project envisions a world where humans have disappeared, and the Ottez have taken over. The Ottez project has since expanded beyond its initial collection, introducing several generations of NFTs with generative processes that allow collectors to actively participate in the evolution of their Ottez NFTs.
Neonz is a collection of 10,000 unique avatars from October 2021 created by Sutu, under the handle Sutuverse. Each avatar is randomly generated from Sutu’s futuristic neon character art, featuring hand-drawn static and animated designs rooted in cyberculture evoking a retro-futuristic aesthetic reminiscent of early video game culture. “Neonz” integrate into the “Sutuverse,” Sutu’s own metaverse. The first project within this metaverse is “Neonz AR.” This feature allows Neonz avatars to be dynamically loaded in real-time, illuminating the real world as interactive neon signs.
NEONZ #9143 and NEONZ #4325 at Suburbs Gallery
GOGOs by Arya Mularama and 0x00000010. The GOGOs collection was released as a stealth drop, selling out in less than three hours in October 2021. GOGOs consists of 5,555 unique, generative characters rooted in designer toy culture. The project emphasizes fun, creativity, and community engagement, aiming to bring the joy of physical art toys into the digital realm.
GOGO #3166 and GOGO #5294
Ziggurats is a generative NFT mixtape by Mike Shinoda, released December 2021. The project consists of 5,000 unique NFTs, each featuring the same vocal track but paired with distinct musical arrangements and cover art. The mixtape showcases Shinoda’s exploration into blending music with blockchain technology, offering a novel experience for fans and collectors. Following the NFT release, the mixtape became available on major streaming platforms like Spotify on December 3, 2021. This approach allowed broader access to the music while maintaining the exclusivity of the NFT versions.
ZIGGURATS #1478 and ZIGGURATS #4278
Randomly Common Skeles is a collection of randomly generated skeleton GIFs by artist John Karel. Released on October 31, 2021, the series features 800 unique traits evenly distributed, resulting in quadrillions of possible combinations. These PFPs were available for minting as an open edition for 24 hours at a price of 5 tez each and were minted almost 38k times.
📚✨🔹📓🦎🌎📞🦓 and 👀😿🔊🔪🎳🥤🐔🍇 at Suburbs gallery (Ziggurats in the background)
FLUX TRIBE is a collection featuring 2,700 hand-drawn collectible characters known as “FLUX.” Launched in December 2021, each FLUX is uniquely randomly generated from a combination of 170 distinct traits, created by Konstant FLUX. The project is set in the fictional New Flux City. This setting reflects a fusion of graffiti culture and crypto culture, embodying themes prevalent in global hip-hop communities, decentralization, and societal shifts towards sustainability and tribal living.
Flux #1017 and Flux #330
DOS Punks is a collection of 1,000 pixel art NFTs created by artist Max Capacity, released in October 2021, drawing inspiration from early computer graphics and the aesthetics of the DOS operating system. The project is community-driven, with the DOS Punks DAO overseeing its development and fostering a vibrant community around the collection.
Lucréce’s Monsters is a collection of 16 unique pieces celebrated for its intricate artistry. Each piece exists as a different-sized edition (between 32 and 100) and is a hand-drawn, three-frame animated monster. Minting dates span November 2021 to October 2024.
DOS Punk 350 and DOS Punk 753 (left) The Beckoner and The Ascender (right)
SMOLSKULL is a fully generative PFP project by Dutch artist Mark Knol, launched on the fxhash platform in November 2021. The collection includes 2,000 unique pixel art skulls, each generated algorithmically with a variety of traits and colors. As one of the earliest projects on fxhash, SMOLSKULL has become a prominent example of generative PFP art within the Tezos blockchain community. Mark Knol continues to engage with the SMOLSKULL community, sharing updates and developments related to the project.
Stoopid Avatar Project is a satirical NFT collection created by Filipino artist Bjorn Calleja in collaboration with coder Liam Egan. Launched in August 2021, the project serves as a commentary on the PFP culture within the NFT space. The initial release featured 120 uniquely hand-drawn avatars, minted between August and September 2021. Each piece was created on Calleja’s phone notepad and swapped every two days, fostering a community that engaged in a playful social media experiment by responding with “yes” to various prompts.
SMOLSKULL #384 and SMOLSKULL #1214 (left) Stoopid #125 and Stoopid #43 (right)
The Conjured is a generative art collection by goldcat, released on the fxhash platform in December 2021. The series consists of 60 unique pieces, each depicting a night-shrouded figure rendered in a painterly style. Each artwork is a 3000 x 3000 pixel image, generated through code by Liam Egan. Goldcat has shared that the series has taken on a life of its own, continuing to teach her new things even after its creation.
Tezerrists by Gary Cartlidge (aka Troy Fitzpatric) was launched in February 2025 and is a bold, politically infused PFP project. The collection features chaotic and confrontational imagery, aiming to challenge societal norms and provoke thought through its art. Troy Fitzpatric is recognized for creating provocative and politically charged crypto art for many years.
Tezerrists Teznouns is a project from March 2023 that draws inspiration from the Ethereum-based Nouns project, aiming to bridge the gap between Ethereum PFP collections and Tezos’ art-centric community. Founded by Rexflexasaurus, Teznouns embraces the CC0 ethos, allowing unrestricted use of its art. Each Teznoun is created in collaboration with a different artist, making the collection a uniquely curated fusion of PFP culture and diverse artistic voices from across the Tezos ecosystem. The works were distributed through the tezvendsmachine.
Teznouns (Artist Ed.), by Teznouns and ed marola and Teznouns (Artist Ed.) by Teznouns and Empress Trash (stills)
Tezzardz is a collection of 4,200 programmatically generated PFP’s created by artist George Goodwin, known as OMGiDRAWEDit. Each Tezzard features a unique combination of traits, resulting in distinctive, colorful lizard-like characters. Launched in September 2021, Tezzardz quickly gained attention, selling out in less than two hours.
Tezzardz #3260 and Tezzardz #3411 at Suburbs gallery
BWOPLE is a non-generative, digitally hand-drawn PFP collection, started by the illustrator Gengoya in December 2021. Each BWOPLE is crafted to be unique, emphasizing inclusivity by being gender-neutral and color-neutral. The collection comprises 601 PFP’s. In May 2022, Gengoya discussed the BWOPLE project in an interview, highlighting the aim of creating unique, hand-drawn PFPs that challenge traditional notions of rarity and promote inclusivity.
⓪⑤⑨⑦ and ⓪⑤⑨③ at Suburbs gallery
Dead MarilYnz by trapers started in April 2023, features 108 hand-drawn, animated GIFs that reimagine the iconic pop culture figure Marilyn Monroe, through a glitch art lens. The artworks blend classic imagery with digital distortion, exploring themes of fame, identity, decay and the ephemeral nature of celebrity. They also symbolize the fragmentation and reconstruction of public personas in the digital age.
Bumpy Marilyn and Blue Idol Marilyn
Basqunks by Todd McCullough (Culla) was launched in November 2021. Basqunks is a fusion of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s raw, graffiti-inspired style and the iconic CryptoPunks aesthetic. The collection consists of 421 unique pieces that pay homage to both street art and the early days of NFTs.
