Maria Arevalo, graduated in Industrial Design, and Cesar Guadarrama, graduated in Computer Systems from the Toluca campus of Tec de Monterrey, joined their passions and skills to create “They Xolo”, an NFT art collection with a deeper purpose. In this endeavor, Maria is the talented digital artist and César is the technological master behind the whole process. Together, they shared the origin of the project with the  "Xoloitzcuintle" as the protagonist of their narrative.

The “They Xolo” project  began with a latent desire by Caesar to venture into the world of NFTs, a desire he had cherished since 2020 but dared not pursue, in part due to his lack of understanding of the subject and the strangeness the concept inspired in him. The 2020 pandemic did not provide the inspiration needed to explore something new, but everything changed in 2021 when an acquaintance invited him to create a collection for a festival in Los Angeles. At that moment, the proposal of a dog with clothes and other creative elements came to life, and the enthusiasm was palpable.

Maria Arevalo, in turn, embarked on a journey of research at the same time that Caesar developed the collection. They planned to visit California, and this trip coincided with the opportunity to exhibit their work in Santa Monica, where exhibit attendees could scan a code and secure an NFT “They Xolo”. The project began to take shape when Maria's close friends, Victor and Caroline, joined the venture.

To understand the essence of NFTs, Maria explained that they function as digital certificates of ownership issued directly by the artist. Uniqueness is one of the fundamental aspects of these digital works, as no two parts are identical, which differs from traditional art with its replicas. The creation of an androgynous Xolo, in addition to being an expression of creative freedom, aims to challenge the gender norms present in many NFTs, which often portray male and female characters in a stereotypical way.

The choice to incorporate Mexican costumes and the diversity of skin colors at Xolo represents a commitment to culture and inclusion. Maria explored elements of pre-Hispanic culture to create authentic jewelry for the character. The choice of names for the Xolos, such as chicharrón, avocado, Jamaica, and surnames such as Metepec, Oaxaca, Zacatecas, and Uxmal, adds an additional layer of meaning and identity.

The creators also shared that the “They Xolo” collection features special characters with distinctive outfits, unique eyes, and even androgynous characters. This diversity of representations reflects the richness of Mexican culture and traditions. In addition, elements such as scarifications and a skull with crossbones symbolize a duality between dogs that accompany people, both in life and in death, highlighting the role these animals play in the passage to the Mictlán.

Finally, the creators are eager to launch their “They Xolo” collection in a public sale, known as Mint, starting Nov. 1 through their website. This event will allow anyone interested to acquire an NFT “They Xolo” and  be part of this exciting digital art journey that celebrates diversity, culture and meaning in an ever-evolving digital world.