No one in the world thinks like me and as an artist it’s everything. My vision is what brings every single creation to life.
–Vakseen
Born in Athens, GA (1979) and raised in Jacksonville, FL, Otha Davis III (also known as Vakseen) is a self-taught, museum-exhibited artist and a multi-platinum music executive, producer & songwriter. While working on hit records has played a driving force in his career, Vakseen has been an active realist painter since moving to Los Angeles in 2011.
For as long as he can remember, Vakseen has loved the arts in its various forms. Vakseen grew up spending his childhood and teenage days drawing and painting. But after an attempt of censorship from his high school AP art teacher left a sour taste in his mouth, Vakseen switched his artistic focus towards music. Not only did he love creating music, but he was great at it and quickly became a success in the industry (he’s worked with Plies, PitBull, Trina, Jagged Edge and more). Yet his passion for visual arts lingered, eventually prompting him to move across the country to Los Angeles to pursue painting and visual arts full-time.
Although these days Vakseen is mostly consumed by his visual creations, music continues to be an integral part of his life. The love for and intersection of music and visual art is apparent in his Pop Pop Collection: A series of bold pop art portraitures featuring Vakseen’s favorite pop culture icons: Prince, 2Pac, Beyonce, Jay-Z, to name a few. Vakseen celebrates these cultural icons and their legacy through an explosion of color, vibrancy and raw emotion, energy and nostalgia.
Vanity Pop denotes another signature style of Vakseen: From afar, the paintings within this series give the illusion of a classic cut-out collage; but upon closer inspection you’ll notice that each shape actually contains a photorealistic portrait that is completely hand-painted. In fact, the depth of these paintings is so deep, they may appear more realistic than an actual photo. Vakseen describes this series as a blend of cubism, photorealism, fashion design and pop surrealism.
Vakseen’s Work Have Been Exhibited In:
Ontario Museum of History & Art, Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, LA Art Show, Spectrum Miami/Art Basel, Adidas, Vans, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Zhou B Art Center, Flinders Lane Gallery, Julien’s Auctions, Gallery 1988, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, The University of California Los Angeles, Bombay Sapphire Gin, The City of Los Angeles, Gallery 825, Abend Gallery, Baton Rouge Gallery, W Hotel, Soho House London, 3 Billboards in Los Angeles
Vakseen’s Artwork Has Been Published in:
LA Weekly, Buzzfeed, Complex Magazinem, Juxtapoz Magazine, Hi-Fructose Magazine, Vibe Magazine, PoetsArtists, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Professional Artist Magazine, High Times Magazine, Kolaj Magazine, Gay Times, BOOOOOOOM, Supersonic Art
Check out an interview with Vakseen here.
G.O.A.T
American Dream
Editions: One
Pricing: Accepting Offers Only
* A 24 hour auction will be triggered once reserve price is met.
By Any Means, DREAM
Editions: One
Pricing: Accepting Offers Only
* A 24 hour auction will be triggered once reserve price is met.
Float Like a Butterfly
Editions: One
Pricing: Accepting Offers Only
* A 24 hour auction will be triggered once reserve price is met.
Limited Editions
Human Nature
Editions: 10
Pricing: $1000/edition
* Limited Editions offered at a flat rate, first come first buy
Purple Reign
Editions: 10
Pricing: $1000/edition
* Limited Editions offered at a flat rate, first come first buy
COLLECTOR RAFFLE
G.O.A.T
Editions: 5
Pricing: $1
*Raffle entry is open for 24 hours immediately after the collection goes live (2/9 at 3:30 PM PT) and is open to current owners of Vakseen’s artworks on MakersPlace only. One entry per account.
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