The ZED RUN community is second to none, from their passion to their innovation. Today, we celebrate the creativity behind the owner of the stable Menace2metaverse (@M2metaverse on Twitter), creator of beautiful resin sculptures, featuring ZED RUN racehorse busts and Human Park Obelisks. We’re taking a deep dive into the inspiration and process, a result of 20 years of trial and error, behind these magnificent works of art.

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An early Web3 adopter, Menace2metaverse first got pulled into the space via Google ads for Bitcoin, quickly becoming hooked on “the righteousness of the early grassroots movement and Satoshi Nakamoto story.” When he discovered NFTs, ZED Run was one of the first projects to catch his attention. “I was thrilled; I’ve always loved horse racing,” he explained, and ZED RUN offered a perfect mashup of his early passions with Web3 ingenuity.

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As for his journey into art, Menace2metaverse attributes his love for the creative to his mother, who was also an artist. He considers himself “a jack of all art mediums,” an apt description considering his mediums have ranged from the digital, such as Microsoft Paint and Photoshop, to the physical, including acrylics, oils, charcoals, and even graffiti. His favourite mediums became those with a clear glossy look: first painting on plexiglass, then working with resin, the main perk of which is its easily manipulated shape.

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“I started with making silicone moulds of objects I found interesting– such as spray paint cans, ornate picture frames, and most recently Obelisks & ZED horses– and then casting them in resin or concrete.” Menace2metaverse

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When Menace2metaverse got into Human Park, he realised the mould he was already using for pyramidal resin sculptures could be used to replicate the Obelisk. Struck with inspiration, he scoured the internet for a horse mould, eventually finding a one piece mould that would work with modification to mimic a ZED RUN racehorse head in bust form.

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For the Obelisk, getting the darker side wall design required printing the image and submerging it in resin; though in the future, Menace2metaverse hopes to try using wood or laser etching to get a more 3D look. The racehorse busts, being a one piece mould, require careful layering of the resin and four days of curing before they are sanded and polished. He hopes to make custom busts in the future that match the racehorses’ colours, with info like the names and ID numbers printed into the bases.

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“It was trial and error for the first few runs, but they get better and better with each attempt. I’m happy with the results overall and the community's response and support! Cheers to the original ZED horse and Obelisk graphic designers too, both are very cool!”

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Menace2metaverse’s favourite part of the resin sculpting process is at the end, when the finished piece is placed on an LED stand and illuminated throughout, a gorgeous glowing display. As for his future plans, he’ll be making more Obelisks and ZED RUN racehorse busts (especially if there’s community demand for personalised ones!), as well as working on some floor and wall sculptures. Follow him on Twitter @M2Metaverse to see more of his works-in-progress and creative updates!