**Secret Artist #20 — Aiko and the Market** As Aiko rode the subway back from the food market, her arms full of ingredients for that week’s dinner, she received the news she had been waiting for. Aiko had been a good wife and a good mother by all accounts. You could ask anyone who knew her, and they would tell you so. Then again, a lot of these people never really knew her very well. Only a select few of her closest friends had been able to glimpse her secrets and true feelings. Regrets about opportunities missed. Resentful of her loveless marriage. Haunted by a more fruitful life she hadn’t lived. She’d had children, of course. Many regarded starting a family as an achievement. She loved her two sons dearly, but they were not an achievement. They weren’t evidence of a life well lived. However, her youngest had now left the family home and this was to mark a turning point in her life. She had been working on something for a long time now, planning and plotting, researching and analysing, buying and selling. Days of green and red candles reflected in her eyes were almost over. She just needed one last piece to fall into place. And now it had. Her phone vibrated. She was barely able to feel it over the rattle of the subway carriage. A notification. *Price Alert* Aiko’s eyes widened. She read the screen again to check the notification was correct and that the magic number had been reached. It was. Aiko hit the red button. *Sell* Aiko entered her pin and watched the loading wheel spin, faster and faster, just like the ones beneath her feet. *Sale confirmed* The screen displayed her total balance. Aiko allowed herself the tiniest of smiles. But there wasn’t time for celebrating. She put her shopping bags down on the floor of the train. Only the essentials. The rest of the subway train strained to see what the “mad lady” was up to. Maybe she’d lost something? Dithery housewife. Some tutted as she began noisily switching items between bags. Aiko looked up at the screen displaying the next stop. That would do just fine. She ignored the looks from strangers as the train’s brakes came on and the wheels stopped spinning. She stood up, one shopping bag under her arm, the other three at her feet — full of this week’s dinner ingredients. She stepped over them and walked straight off the train without looking back. The other passengers shook their heads and scowled. What a strange woman! Why did she leave her bags behind? She probably has a husband, waiting at home, who would be furious when he found out she’d left half the shopping on the subway… In fact, the nosy passengers were right. Aiko’s husband was furious when he found out. Because Aiko had left more than just the shopping on the subway. Aiko had left him. *** **The Secret Artists Project** The world of NFTs opens up new, creative opportunities for artists and also for the ecosystem that surrounds them. The Secret Artist Project works to curate innovative artists from inside and outside of the NFT community. We ask them for a piece of their work that has yet to be minted and add it anonymously to our collection. This puts the focus on the art and not the artist. We want people to buy the art simply because they love it. The Secret Artist Project has no Discord, no Telegram, no overambitious roadmap. However, there is one very special bonus you receive with your NFT from The Secret Artist Project, and that is... **The Artist** While their identity remains a mystery to everyone else, the artist's details will be revealed to you after purchasing the NFT — as if you've discovered their signature scrawled on the back of their painting. So now, you not only have the NFT to hang in your home or display in the Metaverse, you also have the opportunity to discover more of the artist’s work. In addition, by holding the NFT and discovering its secrets, you become part of The Secret Artist Project community. Those who hold secrets, hold power... **The Aims of the Secret Artist Project** — to positively impact the artist by putting their art first — to introduce new artists to the NFT space (though we have some well-known artists in our collection too!) — to promote art we love and collaborate with artists we trust *** If you have any questions, or if you’re an artist who would like to feature your artwork in the project, please go to The Secret Artist Project collection’s Opensea page for contact details/socials https://opensea.io/collection/the-secret-artist-project — The Merchant of Venus, Curator of The Secret Art Project
Name
Secret Artist #20 — Aiko and the Market
Owner
0x060fB9f0d0529A80f5fB94EcAd98Df7df99Ecb0a
ID#81034769…446081
Rarity
N/A