CryptoPunks is arguably the most iconic and influential profile photo (PFP) collection at NFT world, and then taking the project to museumsYuga Labs has been trying to expand its entry into the art world by allowing notable artists to riff on IP with the official Punks label.

But the first effort, revealed Monday With the launch of a new Punks-branded NFT collection, it faced immediate backlash from collectors and crypto watchers – including allegations of “woke” artwork, sometimes accompanied by personal attacks on the artist. Now Yuga is changing and apparently abandoning future plans.

Artist Nina Chanel Abney was previously named the inaugural selection of the Punk in Residence program, and over the weekend revealed her new collection, “Super Punk World.” Following an opening event at The School at Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, Yuga Labs and Abney revealed the planned NFTs on Monday.

The Punk in Residence program is designed to generate chain collaborations that promote creative experimentation around the project and NFTs more broadly. Abney’s limited series digital collectibles embody his bold style and perspective, reimagining the iconic traits of CryptoPunk through his own vision.

Nina Chanel Abney (center) with original CryptoPunks creators John Watkinson (left) and Matt Hall (right) of Larva Labs. Photo: Yuga Labs

“CryptoPunks is an iconic and pioneering project that has played a crucial role in creating the digital collectible space,” said Abney. Decrypt before exposure. “By collaborating with them, I saw an opportunity to be at the center of a unique intersection of art, technology and culture.”

Having previously released a digital art collection titled “Super Cool World” through Digital Asset Gallery Backed by Pharrell Williams (GODA), Abney is no stranger to expanding his work into the medium. For “Super Punk World,” a 500-piece avatar collection, she hand-selected each of the avatars from more than 10,000 results.

This collection, randomly generated and then manually curated by Abney, draws inspiration from the iconic features of CryptoPunks and the attributes of Super Cool World. Each feature was hand-cut by Abney and digitized to create 195 unique 3D-sculpted attributes based on 25 personas. These characters, set against colorful backgrounds inspired by his previous work and printmaking techniques, embody Abney’s aesthetic and pay homage to the irreverent, early roots of the CryptoPunks project on Web3.

“What we wanted to do was introduce wallets and generative art, and Web3 and NFTs, to this more traditional art audience and collector group,” said Nathalie Stone, general manager and brand lead at CryptoPunks. Decrypt last week.

A photo from the “Super Punks World” exhibition. Photo: Yuga Labs

“We’re trying to bring CryptoPunks to the masses here, in a way,” Stone added, “but also get them to understand why digital ownership is important.”

Abney’s digital worldview reflects on virtual identities versus real-world identities, addressing price disparities between digital avatars based on gender and skin tone. White male avatars tend to generate higher secondary sale prices than their darker-skinned or female counterparts in prominent NFT collections.

His hybridized figures fuse racial components and aim to blur the lines between masculine and feminine, challenging social notions of inherent value and prompting viewers to confront their implicit prejudices.

However, after Abney’s riff on CryptoPunks was revealed on Monday, the project received substantial backlash on social media.

Some commentators took aim at the art style itself or even the concept of trying to reimagine an iconic design, while others leveled accusations of being “woke” due to its emphasis on race and gender, igniting debates about the intersection of art, identity and digital culture.

It has also received negative attention for diluting the original Punks collection, with some collectors upset with Yuga Labs’ attempt to expand a project that is considered valuable, “blue chip” Ethereum NFT Set.

Yuga Labs initially declined to comment Decrypt as soon as the backlash began, but early Monday evening, company CEO Greg “Garga” Solano tweeted a statement. The NFTs were initially planned to be auctioned, but will now be distributed in some form to Super Cool World NFT holders, potentially through a “random airdrop.” And it looks like there won’t be any subsequent artistic residency initiatives, at least not in the same way.

“Yuga will no longer touch punks,” he wrote. “They will just be decentralized and preserved on the blockchain. The only thing we intend to do is support some museums and institutions in their quest to acquire Punk and help educate their audiences about them.”

Abney confirmed Solano’s statement in a tweet and thanked Yuga Labs for supporting her art and helping the pieces get into the hands of their keepers — but then lamented the hateful attacks sent to her on social media as a result of the project’s reveal.

“I am totally disgusted by some of the racist, sexist, homophobic, [and] transphobic comments that the controversy surrounding this project has unearthed,” she wrote.

“What is really in the weak point of this space?” Abney continued. “Now, more than ever, I will continue my mission towards an inclusive community where everyone is accepted and ideas that stimulate productive dialogue are welcomed. No hate tolerated.”

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