Japanese artist Yusuke Hanai brings his signature gritty style to Stranger Things’ Jim Hopper with the premium Coffee and Contemplation set from AllRightsReserved’s NFT brand, FWENCLUB. The set features a nearly 40″ vinyl sculpture of Hawkins’ sheriff, a matching limited-edition print, and a copy of the heartfelt talk between Hopper and Eleven.
The figure features Hopper deep in thought, pen just under his chin and a coffee mug in the other hand. Hanai emphasizes the character’s rough-around-the-edges nature with beard stubble and a slightly exaggerated belly. A tough, resilient character, Hopper fits nicely into the artist’s aesthetic.
Interestingly, the Coffee and Contemplation set is only available to collectors holding one of Yusuke Hanai’s People in the Place They Love NFTs published by FWENCLUB. The blockchain snapshot to verify NFT ownership took place on Monday (5.16) at 9 PM PDT. While still not commonplace, ‘gating’ or limiting art toy drops to NFTs is a growing trend that enhances the value or ‘utility’ of the digital art tokens.
An edition of 100, the ‘Coffee and Contemplation’ vinyl sculpture (39.37″) and print set (24.02″ x 12.2″) will be available for HK$51,000 (~$6497) via lottery exclusively to Hanai NFT holders via FWENCLUB from Wednesday (5.18) at 8 PM PDT through Sunday (5.22) at 9 PM PDT. The print includes a signed/numbered certificate of authenticity.
On a purely speculative note, the photo of the artist with the Hopper sculpture seems to show a much smaller version in the upper left corner. Perhaps an initial prototype or sample. Or perhaps a smaller version might be coming as well?
