Harlem Born NFT Collection
HARLEM ELEMENTALS
"My artistic process is intuitive. Perfumery makes it mystical, technical and
multi-dimensional."
Hello, my name is Makeba Guilan Lloyd (a.k.a. Keba Guilan), and I am the founder and creator of Butter By Keba, an artisanal fragrance and body care line based in Harlem, NY. Welcome to my collection of scented art, titled Harlem Born, on the Polygon Blockchain via OpenSea.io
Each art piece is a digital oil painting of a real life Harlem Born Super Hero in their own right. Most of the Muses of the Harlem Born Collection grew up in the "Black Capital Of The World" during the 70's. They are artists, business owners and community leaders. Each holds a special super power of their own.
Read their bios, get to know them, follow them on social media. They are Harlem's finest!
All of the artwork incorporates a backdrop of raw aromatic material from my fragrance studio, neighborhood garden or travels. Each final digital sale is delivered with a file large enough to print 36in x 66in or 66in x 36in, and is assigned a perfume formula that is also minted The fragrances are one of a kind formulations. I work with all kinds of raw materials, some I extract myself, others domestic and international. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds will go toward our work with local Harlem anti-violence and financial literacy initiative Hands That Make A Difference. The remaining proceeds of this project will go toward building our Scentonomy Wellness technology and community.
This piece, Harlem Elementals, is a digital oil painting of a photograph taken by my good friend Will Vaultz, a multi-Emmy award winning photographer/film maker, born and raised in Harlem, New York during the 70's, just like me. This is the first of my collection titled,"Harlem Born".
The photograph was taken March 10, 2021, just seven days after my birthday. I needed new content for a perfumery workshop series for Master Card's Priceless™️ Experiences. And so, I rented a class NYC photography loft in Midtown, something I had never done. I wasn't sure how the shoot would go, particularly because I was feeling unlike myself that day. However, once I looked out at the skyline and reminded myself where I was and who I was, the day became magical.
The background of the piece is a digital oil painting of a photograph of dried peppermint, rosemary and cannabis prepared just before an oil infusion intended for a client. The blend did not meet the standard I desired for the client's formulation so I used it to formulate a deep hair conditioner for myself and my friends.
Harlem Elementals is assigned an aromatic formulation that is green in character with notes of Fir Needle, Lime, Patchouli and Rainforest.
Creative Team
Creative Concept, Design & Direction- Makeba Guilan Lloyd
Photography- Will Vaultz
Final Draft Digital Oil Painting, Technicals- Elena Provolovich
Photography- Will Vaultz
Final Draft Digital Oil Painting, Technicals- Elena Provolovich
