Mera Takeru is a pioneering NFT artist known for blending blockchain concepts with Japanese culture. ^[1]

Early Life and Background

Born on January 18, 1990, in Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, Mera Takeru has been a resident of his hometown throughout his life. Prior to his venture into the art world, he had no formal experience in visual arts. His journey into the realm of digital art began entirely through self-study.

Pioneering Crypto Art in Japan

In January 2017, he entered the world of cryptocurrency, participating in various ICOs and enjoying blockchain games. In April 2019, Mera Takeru embarked on creating NFT art using the iOS application "Editional," marking him as the first Japanese individual to do so. His unique approach to blending blockchain concepts with Japanese culture garnered attention, leading to official recognition as an artist on prominent international platforms such as SuperRare, KnownOrigin, and MakersPlace. To date, he has sold over 2,000 pieces of his NFT art, with a total transaction volume exceeding 300 ETH, including secondary sales.

Exhibitions and Speaking Engagements

Mera's influence in the crypto art scene is evident through his participation in various exhibitions and events:

• 2019: Participated in the group exhibition "The Cent Cryptovoxels Art Tour" at Voxels.
• 2020: Selected for KnownOrigin's "Creative Challenge NFT NYC 2020."
• 2021: Contributed to Fracton Ventures' "Web3.0Magazine" by creating a commemorative NFT. Served as a judge and special lecturer for SBI NFT Market's first and second phases. Exhibited in group shows such as "Crypto Art Fes" and "CryptoArtWeekAsia." Featured in a solo interview spanning four pages in the December 2021 issue of "Bijutsu Techo" magazine.
• 2022: Showcased works in multiple group exhibitions, including "Made in Japan 3.0: Defining a New Phy-gital Reality" in Hong Kong and "Crypto Arts M3 Exhibition" in Tokyo. Held his first solo exhibition titled "暗号炊爨 -Ango Suisan-" in Shizuoka. Participated in various offline sessions and was featured in the book "NFT 1.0→2.0," with a nine-page solo interview.
• 2023: In April, he was a speaker at "NFT NYC 2023," one of the world's largest NFT events. In June, he became the first Japanese artist to hold a solo exhibition at Paris's digital gallery "NFT Factory Paris." Collaborated with contemporary artist Kazuki Takakura to produce a joint NFT. Participated in group exhibitions such as "MoCa Collection" in Paris and "名画の旅 江戸から現代まで" at the Ashikaga City Art Museum.
• 2024: He has published several books and created an original card game, and travels back and forth between Web2 and Web3.He has published several books and created an original card game, and travels back and forth between Web2 and Web3.

Artistic Philosophy and Innovations

Mera Takeru is renowned for his innovative fusion of blockchain ideology with traditional Japanese aesthetics. He introduced "meragana," a unique set of characters he created, each represented by a square and its pronunciation, totaling 46 characters.

Publications and Media

In addition to his visual art, Mera has ventured into publishing. He released his first poetry and art collection titled "飯盒資産," reflecting his personal struggles, creative process, and perspectives on art. He also published a children's picture book, "AIなぞなぞなぞ," on Amazon Kindle.