Yam Karkai: Founder and Creator of the World of Women NFT Collection
As the founder and creator of the most successful female-driven NFT collection, World of Women, Yam Karkai has cemented her place in the Web 3.0 ecosystem.
March 11 2022, Published 1:28 p.m. ET
As the founder and creator of World of Women, the most successful female-driven NFT collection, Yam Karkai has cemented her placement in the Web 3.0 ecosystem. Through bold colors and a firm belief in women's representation in the Web 3.0 sector, Karkai is beyond a digital illustrator and NFT artist. Keep reading to learn about her journey.
Here is what we know about the artist, her inspiration, and her mounting success in the NFT and Web 3.0 ecosystem.
Who is Yam Karkai?
As the creator and founder of World of Women (WoW,) Karkai is self-described as a digital illustrator and NFT artist who focuses on highlighting women and their diversity. Much of Karkai's inspiration comes from her multicultural background and upbringing. Yam was born in Europe and spent a lot of her time in the Middle East. Elements in her pieces reflect growing up in two different cultures and worlds and are reminiscent of her childhood.
Although Karkai was very artistic throughout her childhood, doing it as a profession was only something that crossed her mind. Before her NFT stardom and success, the artist worked as a scriptwriter, waitress, and French translator. As she was entering crypto, she was working in the Google Ads Quality department.
Once in the crypto sector, Karkai began pursuing her digital arts profession and founded World of Women NFT alongside BBA, Raphaël Malavieille, and Toomaie in May 2021.
The collection of 10,000 uniquely generated women is intended to represent the inclusivity and increase diversity within the predominately cis-gendered, white male space of Web 3.0. Contrary to most PFP (proof-of-profile) projects that face either left or right, the WoW collection faces straight forward to suggest the empowerment and confidence these women represent.
World of Women Foundation got funded by The Sandbox
On March 7, WoW announced its partnership with the decentralized metaverse, The Sandbox. It will fund the WoW Foundation for $25 million over five years. The foundation centers around driving women's inclusivity and mentorship, and the funding will be allocated towards these initiatives.
The WoW Foundation intends to create and develop a WoW Museum, Academy, and University. According to the project's discord, the Wow Museum will include a building on one of the land parcels in The Sandbox to showcase the WoW Foundation and the actions it supports.
The WoW University is intended to serve free online courses on getting started in Web 3.0 with immersive experience within their Sandbox plot. Upon completion, "students" will receive an NFT diploma although isn't clear if there's value. The WoW Academy will function as an incubator of sorts to provide guidance, support, funding, and mentorship for artists and projects. Providing access to the WoW Sandbox foundation, the academy session is slated to conclude with an NFT award ceremony.
Yam Karkai's work extends beyond World of Women
Karkai hasn't only grabbed the attention of many in the NFT ecosystem. She has captured the likes of celebrities including Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes, and NFT collector Snoop Dogg.
Outside of her 10,000 WoW collection, Karkai has also created 1/1 pieces for the WoW Foundation which include Woman n°006, Woman n°010, Woman n°012, Woman n°013, Woman n°016, Woman n°017, sold with exclusive ownership license. Through her multicultural upbringing, Karkai was able to draw inspiration and create some of the more recognizable NFTs.