As an art & story-led IP, AstroChimpz by Studio Kulture is all set to launch its collections of Astro Ordinals on the BTC blockchain.
Before we get into the brand-building team behind AstroChimpz, let’s get the must-know details squared away on the upcoming collections, dropping within the next few days/weeks.
Collection 1: Astro Ordinals OGs
Wen? Early July / Supply: 500
The OGs collection features our eccentric key characters who drive the AstroChimpz story as seekers and experimentalists.
Collection 2: Astro Ordinals
Wen? Soon / Supply: 3500
Collection 2 consists of the free-wheeling citizens of Chimpzville - the Astros themselves!
Founders’ journey into Web3
Having followed the Web3 space since early 2021, creative duo Arjun and Jas Charanjiva began working on AstroChimpz in 2022. As brand builders and creators, Arjun and Jas aim to create an immersive art and story driven experience designed to thrive in the Web3 ecosystem.
With their extensive experience in strategic thinking and graphic art (respectively), AstroChimpz has developed into an IP and brand powered by a profound dedication to the story, its purpose and its compelling characters.
The Team
Arjun Charanjiva (Co-Founder, Operations, Story Creator)
Arjun is all about the big picture: brand-building, strategy and cross-functional business leadership.
Arjun is an MBA graduate in Marketing and International Business from Columbia University. In his previous avatar at Mars Inc, Arjun was Head of the India Chocolate business (cross functional), where he established the business in India and championed product innovation. Prior to that, as Senior Brand Manager, Arjun led M&M's brand efforts in the USA, working closely with global agencies such as BBDO and Grey Interactive, which included a disruptive Inner M&M interactive campaign (IAB award). Interestingly, the "Become an M&M" was conceived 15 years before PFPs took hold. The M&M’s campaign saw consumers create 4 million custom avatars. Prior to that, working with TBWA, Arjun repositioned Combos Salty Snacks which yielded CLIO and Cannes awards.
After 13 years, he left the corporate world to become an entrepreneur. Driven by a passion for creating ecosystems for independent artists, he launched an art & lifestyle brand Kulture Shop* in 2014 and pioneered India’s graphic art movement. The Kulture Shop artist platform and art concept stores gained global recognition by the likes of BBC, CNN, and NYT and many more. Today, Arjun is exploring and building the AstroChimpz’ Web3 experience.
Arjun grew up in Mumbai playing sports, curating music and collecting Tintin and Asterix comics. Today, Arjun is a fan of global culture and absurdist humor; and a keen collector of cultural objects. His new found interests lie in new science, consciousness and confronting big questions around the Universe. AstroChimpz is the product of this quest.
Twitter: @arjuncharanjiva | LinkedIn
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Jas Charanjiva** (Co-Founder, Art Director, Community)
Jas is one of India's prominent street artists. She has collaborated with several global brands and projects. Her art is vocal and centered around social issues, and has been featured in many leading publications.
California-bred and a storyteller-at-heart, Jas studied Film and Communications in Southern California before getting into advertising and entertainment marketing in SF and NYC. Today, Jas is a prominent street artist in India and considered an OG — known first for painting hip hop primates on the streets when street art was not yet ‘a thing’ in India and before Apes were king in the NFT world. Since then, Jas is recognized globally for her work centering around gender equality. Vogue has described Jas’ most popular piece Don’t Mess with Me (housed at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum) as “the rallying cry for global sisterhood”. Jas has collaborated with several prominent brands such as Apple, MTV, Rolling Stone, Adidas Originals, Vans, Quicksilver and Absolut. As co-founder of Kulture Shop, Jas focused on PR, consumer engagement and building a global community of art lovers. She now brings a unique spirit to building the AstroChimpz’ Web3 experience.
Jas is greatly inspired by Bowie, post-punk, toy culture, and cartoons — new and old. Her new found interests are neuroscience, medicinal mushrooms, psilocybin and human awareness.
Twitter: @jcharanjiva | Instagram: @jascharanjiva
*Kulture Shop (2014-2023) was co-founded by Arjun and Jas Charanjiva and Kunal Anand. It was known for its tightly curated roster of 150 leading Indian digital graphic artists from around the world. Having hosted over 20,000 customers, Kulture Shop’s reach spanned more than 80 destinations across the globe.
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Studio Kulture**
While Arjun laid the foundation for the story and delved deeper into its central themes, Jas played an instrumental role in co-developing the characters and jointly crafting the AstroChimpz adventure. Having laid the groundwork, they teamed up with three pioneering, established artists from the Global-Indian art scene to make it come to life.
Together as Studio Kulture, this collaboration not only infuses the project with each of their unique perspectives but also adds an extra layer of depth and richness to building the AstroChimpz world.
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The Artists**
Kunal Anand - Art Advisor.
Friend and co-founder at Kulture Shop (and now founder of his very own independent design studio, Cabein), Kunal has created the PFP characters for the Astro Ordinals, the collection artwork and the ubiquitous ‘AstroChimp’ — the brand mark.
For Kunal, the AstroChimpz was an exciting way to freely experiment with character design, creating digital personas and building a studio-driven IP & brand within the uncharted territories of Web3. As Art Advisor, not only is he a mentor but also acts as consultant to the art & design team.
Having worked with agencies and clients across continents, Kunal continues to investigate the intersection of design and culture.
Twitter: @kunalage | Instagram: @cabein
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Sachin Bhatt - Lead Artist.**
As an illustrator and art director, Sachin is the lead artist at AstroChimpz. His distinct style and witty, visual-storytelling bring the Astrochimpz world to life.
For Sachin, the AstroChimpz is a digital adventure, through which he looks forward to connecting with global communities and doing what he does best — tell meaningful stories with heart. It fits perfectly that comic books and cartoons were the center of his life growing up (and still are)!
Over the years, Sachin has been widely recognized for his unique art collaborations in the global art and music scene.
Twitter/Instagram: @bhattchin
Vibhav Singh - Webcomic Partner.
As an illustrator and concept artist, Vibhav is the Webcomic Partner at AstroChimpz. His love for fantasy, sci-fi and all things other-worldly inform his take on the adventures of the AstroChimpz.
For Vibhav, the AstroChimpz webcomic is not just a mere collection of digital artworks. It is a dynamic storyboard that unveils the narrative with gripping plot twists and visually compelling scenes. He combines theatrical elements of perspective, lighting, color and texture to bring cinematic flair to this story.
Vibhav has previously been a cover artist for acts in the Indian indie-music scene; and he also runs his own animation studio.
AstroChimpz wouldn’t be possible without the rest of the team. Find these rockstars here.
Stay tuned to find out more about the story, the world and the vision behind AstroChimpz.
Twitter/Instagram: @_vibhavsingh
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Reach us at info@studiokulture.co.