Miniature art-NFT cycling jersey collection by Girona-based artist to be auctioned

A set of 33 miniature artworks depicting cycling jerseys from a Girona-based South African artist will go up for auction on November 19. 

Both the physical works will be available to bid on as well as NFT versions of the pieces. 

NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are digital certificates of ownership of digital assets, normally artworks, which are traced on blockchain ledgers and thus cannot be replicated. 

The 33 physical watercolour paintings all measure the size of a 50c coin, and feature all the World Tour races, including the Tour de France, the Classics and the Monuments, as well as the Olympics and some of the women’s winner’s jerseys.

Artist Kelly van Tonder moved to northern Catalonia in February 2020, initially for one year, but is now set to stay permanently.

For any avid cycling enthusiast, the Girona region is well known as a haven for the sport, with many professionals basing themselves there. 

“I decided to take on the 33 UCI World Tour races as I wanted to tell the story of a series over time,” Van Tonder said. 

“By choosing a sport and basing it over the entire season, it also spoke to the deeper essence that miniature art and cycling both hold dear, the need for patience and dedication.”

“It's all about stirring the emotion rather than depicting it in a bigger piece of art,” Van Tonder considers. “Miniature art allows and teaches us to learn a little more, see more and appreciate more.”

The artworks are available to view in person at the @velodrom.cc shop in Girona. 

They will go on auction at 12pm Friday, November 19, on the Opensea website.