Art was my voice when I was losing my sight as a child. Now as Maddness, creating is a way I show how I see the world through my lens.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
My favorite type of art to create is a mix of slice-of-life and Afrofuturistic illustration with a divine feel to it. I like pieces that pull you in and make you look again—like you didn’t catch everything the first time. I also really enjoy character concept design. When I start creating a character, it never just stays a design. Ideas start flowing and it turns into a whole story as I’m building them.
Where do you find inspiration?Most of my inspiration comes from anime, comics, and different types of mythical and historical lore.I’ve always been drawn to the storytelling and character design in those spaces—the way they build whole worlds and make you feel connected to them.Sometimes inspiration just comes from everyday life too—small moments, people, or emotions that stick with me.I like blending that real, everyday moments withmore fantasy-based elements so the work feels both grounded and otherworldly at the same time
What would you do with $25,000?With $25,000, I would invest it into developing my indie manga I’ve been working on independently for the past few years. It would give me the support I need to really bring it to life—like hiring assistants, and expanding production. This project is bigger than just one story to me. Creating more POC-centered narratives has always been a goal of mine, especially in spaces like manga and comics where that representation is still limited.
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