Celebrated digital artist Aley has seen her piece Stellar Essence – an illustrated 1-of-1 NFT in her Wanderings collection – sell for 0.2 ETH at auction on NFT marketplace Foundation.
Stellar Essence depicts a falling female figure gazing upon a visage that appears to be a self-reflection, set against a background of the cosmos. Illustrated in a striking stylistic near-realism, the piece challenges the notion of rebirth through destruction, our consciousness in troubled times, and discovering our path forward.
As of writing, Stellar Essence has just been sold via auction on Foundation, fetching 0.2 ETH – roughly $410 USD.
Who is Aley?
Aley, real name Sveta Aleynikova, is a Russian digital artist and illustrator.
Her digital art – which is mostly static illustrations, but does include lightly-animated work – typically explores the female form, with otherworldly and surreal elements that serve to highlight aspects of the human condition, emotional growth, and the myriad thoughts of modern life.
With an attractive illustrated style, Aley’s digital collectibles explore concepts, ideas and emotions in a bold, expressive and thought-provoking way, creating striking images that serve female empowerment and emotional transparency in equal measure.
Aley has been active in the NFT industry since 2021, with practically all of her works having been minted on the Ethereum blockchain. Her digital collectibles can be found on art-focused platforms such as Foundation, MakersPlace, Rarible and more – whilst secondary trading can be found on NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea.
What is Aley’s Stellar Essence NFT?
Stellar Essence is a unique 1-of-1 NFT, minted by Aley on Ethereum via Foundation on March 17, 2025.
Part of Aley’s Wanderings collection – a collection of 1-of-1 self-portrait NFTs that explore Aley’s mental state, self-visualisations and reflections – Stellar Essence depicts a nude female figure falling through space, gazing towards a large facial visage of themselves looking upon them.
The piece intends to analyse how light can emerge “from the collapse of former structures”, giving rise to “a new state of existence”. In the description of Stellar Essence, Aley argues that “consciousness follows the same path”, ultimately “illuminating the way forward”.
Aley goes on to pose the question; “Is light the ultimate goal?” – discussing the ability of light to “[transform] the observer, reshaping their understanding of reality.”
Stellar Essence was put up for auction on March 17, 2025, with an active bid being placed on March 18. The piece was subsequently successfully auctioned on March 19 at the price of 0.2 ETH – just over $400 USD.
Bullish on web3. Competitive soul.