Angelo Sotira, the founder of the iconic digital art platform DeviantArt, is back with a new venture aimed at revolutionizing how digital art is experienced. Nearly 25 years after creating one of the internet’s earliest creative communities, Sotira is now focused on redefining digital art presentation through a high-end display called Layer.
Unveiled this week, Layer is a sophisticated digital canvas specifically engineered to showcase dynamic and evolving digital artworks. Unlike typical displays or televisions repurposed to show images, Layer is purpose-built to seamlessly blend into refined living spaces while rendering digital creations in their best possible form.
According to Sotira, Layer is not just another display screen. “It has to perform like a true canvas, not just behave like a TV turned sideways,” he said. The product is being positioned in a luxury bracket, priced at around $22,000 reflecting its focus on quality, artistic integrity, and technical excellence.
Layer distinguishes itself from mainstream alternatives by offering a platform tailored to digital generative art a genre where artists code algorithms that continuously evolve the artwork in real time. Rather than relying on generative AI tools trained on existing content, many of Layer’s featured artists write their own software, creating truly original pieces that are ever-changing.
To support these artworks, Layer includes powerful computing components and a high-resolution display that renders visuals without compression ensuring every pixel is governed live by the artist’s code. This technical sophistication is a key reason behind the product’s high cost.
Sotira’s years of experience at DeviantArt helped him understand what previous digital art displays lacked. A major focus for Layer has been ease of use and long-term functionality. “You should be able to just turn it on and forget about it it should curate and sequence the art for you intelligently,” he said to media. Designed to run continuously for years, the device aims to integrate naturally into users’ lives.
Beyond hardware, Layer is also creating a subscription-based ecosystem for curated digital art. Buyers of the canvas will have access to an evolving collection of works from participating digital artists. These artists are compensated through royalties based on how long their artworks are displayed.
Although it’s a niche product for now, Layer has drawn the attention of notable investors. While still in stealth mode, the startup secured $5.7 million in funding from venture firms such as Expa Ventures, Human Ventures, and Slauson & Co., alongside prominent angel investors including Twitter co-founder Evan Williams and Behance co-founder Scott Belsky.
With Layer, Sotira hopes to place artists at the forefront once again, this time by offering them a premium, sustainable platform to showcase and monetize their work in homes, galleries, and beyond.
