Young creative Victor Nwangwu’s digital art affords him international recognition
Also known as Odsev, he narrates his journey as a conceptual artist and graphic designer.
Life after high school will present you with a wormhole of endless opportunities.
Vega School’s young conceptual artist and graphic designer Victor Ngwangwu, also known as Odsev, narrates how his love for the arts has allowed him to work with local and international stars.
He writes:
I’ve always liked art and design, so deciding on subjects in high school was easy because I was immediately drawn to visual arts.
I matriculated at the age of 16 in 2017 at Radley Private School where I was elected as the head boy. I took a gap year but enrolled in a one-year higher certificate course in advanced photography. I used this time to sate my developing appetite for exploring digital art.
My friend used cool visuals on social media so I contacted him to find out what software or tools he used to produce these photographs, which I found on Play Store. The app restricted me so I looked for an alternative. I began learning Adobe software (especially Adobe Photoshop) in October 2018 using both paid classes and YouTube.
By January 2019, after around six months of practice, I was confident about the direction my career would go. My focus was firmly fixed on digital art and design, so I decided to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Vega.
Odsev, which means ‘reflection’ in Slovenian was a professional Instagram account I started at the time.
Following my journey, I started making surrealistic portraits from images that my younger brother had shot. I would produce a minimum of five pieces of art per day. I used this to market my brand but realised I would need to think about working with other artists and content producers in my niche. Over time, my style evolved.
When Jack Avery, an American singer and musician, agreed to work with me in 2019, my artistic journey drastically improved. He used the ideas to brand his tour at the time. This partnership attracted attention from across the world, and as a result, additional significant partnerships quickly followed, including one with Zedd, who is a Russian-born German DJ, record producer, and songwriter.
I have completed a variety of projects for South African celebrities such as mixed martial arts fighter Bokang Masunyane, popularly known as Little Giant, and Yanga Chief, a South African rapper and singer-songwriter.
I used the lockdown to my advantage, knowing that influencers and celebrities were restricted. I contacted several people and surprisingly received hundreds of international responses, including those from TikTok stars in India, Los Angeles, and other places.
All of my accomplishments sprouted from my desire to show myself that everything is possible at any age. If it’s something you seek, you can obtain it as long as you’re willing to put up the effort and sleepless nights necessary to get it. Anything in this world is within your grasp, and this message is directed especially at young people since we have the power to influence the future.
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