fxGems is curated by Haiver. Follow on Twitter and Mastodon for recommendations, and sign up for email notifications on Substack for when a new issue drops. To support the work, collect a copy of this issue or past issues, or consider minting one of my generative pieces here on fx(hash).

At just over a year old, the history of fx(hash) is not very long, but it has quickly established itself as the largest platform for generative art on the blockchain. And the biggest month in fx(hash)'s brief time was, by far, December 2021.

Within thirty-one days, budding and established generative artists released 3622 new projects — that averages out to 116 new projects per day (compared to about 30-40 per day a year later)! If you were trying to collect at the time, it took a lot of effort to stay on top of it all. And to look back on that giant body of work even now is to get buried in a sea of projects.

One of the main goals of fxGems is to highlight generative art projects so they don't get lost in the never ending feed of new work. This is especially vital when it comes to smaller works and early-career artists. But little did I know, when I took on the task of curating the best projects from that December, that it would be one of the hardest things I did this year — over a hundred hours of work, tired eyes, and a constantly looming sense of decision fatigue.

But the amount of great art released in that brief time is inspiring to behold. It stands as a monument to the incredible new art movement we're a part of. So come with me as we explore the best art from the early days of fx(hash) — from projects you forgot even existed. Some real gems await!

It's important to note that fxGems is not a ranked list. One part of good curation is putting pieces in conversation with one another, so each numbered mint featured here has been carefully selected, then ordered into groups of twos and threes to create a dialogue between the different projects. There are juxtapositions and echoes, recurring themes and visual motifs. A thread has been woven throughout. How it draws you from one project to the next is up to you to find.

If you're looking for more recommendations, check out Part I of this list, the four part abstract Best of List, and the multiple issues gathering all of the many Honorable Mentions, covering December 2021.

Practical Instruments by Orr Kislev

Campbell's Soup Cans - Cluster by mocomatics

Damochki 2 by sasha_t

Circuits by Kali

(Land/Sea) Escape by AaG_

Zee by Lucas S. Reveil

Hash Effects by monokai

More Love by dddc

D.Betr is Thinking by 111v1ab

fx(cats) by griza

Ocular Chroma by cyflints

windos by petStarChippy

Distant Views by Volatile Moods

Fireworks Island by TeNinEight

Lost Temple by GasparianTed

unplanned_city_01 by João Salazar

Japan Pixels Mini Series: Sumo by grosgg

Batafuraiko by KilledByAPixel

Toad Terrarium by Geomi

Blue Toad by Casekimba

Zeus 450BC by smallfly

Unknown Monuments by Gen_Doodler

Minimum Viable Art {04:SDF} by Owen Moore

Fireflies and Flower Gardens by Diego Lazzarin

Creatures of the Deep #1 - The Jellyfish by rje99

Vulvator by Antti Pussinen

ℜ●𝖗𝕊⊂⧦▲𝕔𝖞 by guidoschmidt

Colorleaves by Aleksandra

🌱 Potted & Printed by Sam Tsao

fxGems is not affiliated with fx(hash) or fx(text) (hence the lack of parentheses), and none of the recommendations herein should be construed as financial advice. We’re here to celebrate the art!

Each month I go one by one through all of the projects that dropped on fx(hash) to find the strongest, most compelling work — generative art that has a unique voice, a wide variety across its many mints, and an intriguing approach to algorithms and technique.

So don't forget to subscribe, follow, and collect ;)