As an astute cultural observer chronically online, FIEND has seen a myriad trends, hypes and cultural flexes wash across the digital art scene. Open-source learning has been key to the rapid evolution of 3D art both technically and philosophically. It’s encouraged a culture of creative sharing and communal nurturing, values which initially attracted FIEND to the scene. Over the years, with the digital community by his side, he’s refined his technique and sharpened his aesthetic viewpoint. The next step is to improve his illustration skills so he can move into concept art. “So I can actually make the thing I envision,” he explains. “I want to make people who look like me, more POC characters.” Next year, he’s attending grad school in the US where he hopes to develop this line of creative inquiry.
Since starting his freelance design career in 2020, FIEND has learned an impressive array of skills, with a coveted body of work to boot, but it’s the community he has found that he holds most dear. “Being in these communities made me visible to the artists that I look up to. Two or three years later, they’re my really good friends. I can’t believe it. It’s amazing,” he says.
