Vakseen

Born in Athens, GA and raised in Jacksonville, FL, Otha Davis III aka 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.
In his artwork, Vakseen strives to honor the diversity and unique imperfections and perfections that each woman possesses. His distinctive painting style, “Vanity Pop”, blends photorealism, cubism, and fashion design to create lively, abstract portraits. Vanity Pop serves as a tribute to beauty, fashion, personal identity, luxury, excess, insecurities, and vulnerability. Through this approach, his portraits serve as a visual commentary on the male gaze, its influence on pop culture and consumerism, and its effects on individuals and societal beauty standards.
“As complex and imperfect individuals, we don various facades in search of acceptance. I reflect this complexity in my paintings by skillfully combining "ideal" features, much like a cosmetic surgeon, to breathe life into my concepts. I incorporate personal and found imagery in my portraits, embellishing my subjects with luxury brands or intricate patterns.”
While Vakseens’ work may resemble collage or mixed-media, each piece is painstakingly hand-painted to blur the line between perception and reality. By juxtaposing diverse "perfect" features in his subjects, he highlights the internal fragmentation we all experience as we navigate a world filled with unattainable ideals. Essentially, his art serves as a mirror, reflecting the surreal and superficial nature of our society. Vakseens’ goal is to create art that sparks dialogue, engages the senses, and challenges the importance we place on superficiality.