A controversial Melbourne mural depicting Ukrainan and Russian soldiers hugging has been removed (Instagram: @ctoart)

The Melbourne artist behind a controversial mural depicting a Russian and Ukrainian soldier hugging says he painted over the artwork to increase its value as an NFT.

Last week, artist Peter Seaton, who works under the name CTO, removed a three-storey mural titled “Peace Before Pieces” in South Melbourne following widespread criticism. 

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, labelled it offensive for promoting “a sense of a false equivalency between the victim and the aggressor”.

Seaton continued to sell 12 digital artworks featuring the mural as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), with profits going to global anti-war organisation World Beyond War.

Following the mural’s removal, Seaton apologised to the Ukrainian community but defended his artwork. “There is an element of war which is about dehumanising the opposition. My artwork was only about bringing the human element to both of these warring factions,” he told The Age shortly after removing the mural.

But after painting over the mural, Seaton continued to post content to social media in defence of his work. 

In a video shared on the artist’s Instagram — in which he claimed the “mob” of Ukrainian critics of the mural were ashamed by their participation in war — Seated said his motivation for painting over the artwork was to juice the value of his digital artworks.

“na i actually painted over it because it gives more value to the nft,” he wrote in a now-deleted comment. 

Mural artists have embraced NFTs as a way to preserve and monetise their work. Murals are ephemeral due to their public nature; sometimes they’re painted over by their creator or, more often, by others. Now, artists can sell digital, unique versions of their real-life work that last beyond the physical creation.

Seaton told Crikey that increasing value was just one of three reasons he painted over his work. He also said that the artwork was graffitied in Ukrainian, and that he didn’t want to hurt people.

“It’s their perception of the work that has hurt them. Because it’s a CLEAR SYMBOL OF PEACE to most people,” he said.

Of the collection’s five NFTs that have been purchased so far, two sold since the mural was painted over. All five sold for US$139.82.