The story of FEWOCiOUS: A teenage crypto-art icon

Artists from all walks of life have been cashing in lately by turning their work into one-of-a-kind blockchain collectibles, also known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

When I learned that even teenage artists had made huge sums of money selling their crypto art, I knew I had to hear their stories.

First, I had a Zoom date with 14-year-old artist Erin (@erinbeess), who uses software code to create her art, much of which features female characters. Her most expensive piece sold for 10 ETH (about $18,000) on the popular NFT marketplace SuperRare.

I connected with 16-year-old artist Justin (@jstngraphics), who is known for his vibrant landscapes with tiny silhouetted figures, one of which recently sold for 15 ETH (about $26,000) on SuperRare.

I met 15-year-old artist Jaiden (@jastidesigns), known for his colorful, cartoon-style pieces, a few of which have sold for 20 ETH (about $31,000) on SuperRare.

Then I chatted with RetroCoin (@RETROCOIN), a collective of three young artists who banded together to create playful and often animated NFT art and collectibles that touch on social themes.

In each of these conversations, one name kept coming up: FEWOCiOUS.

The 18-year-old artist, who recently revealed that his real name is Victor, is known for his surreal and vibrantly colorful pieces. His most famous work is probably his collaboration with musician Two Feet which in mid-February generated over $1 million in sales on NFT marketplace NiftyGateway.

A Peak In My Head
by @fewocious x @TwoFeetMusic

SOUND ⬆️

We could not be more excited for this one... a MAJOR collab dropping in just 1 hour!

Full Collection:https://t.co/4w3D2sin4qhttps://t.co/sJkXcssXqW pic.twitter.com/8LGJ1ElvZM

— Nifty Gateway (@niftygateway) February 14, 2021

Now many of his fellow teen artists see him as a north star.

The rise of FEWOCiOUS (@FEWOCiOUS on Twitter) mirrors the recent introduction of NFTs into mainstream consciousness. Just a few months ago, very few people were familiar with the term, and they were mostly crypto nerds.

In the past two weeks, pro athletes and fast food chains have minted them — and creators of all ages have made hundreds of thousands and even millions selling NFT-based artwork.

Until a few weeks ago, FEWOCiOUS himself had never made more than $100 from selling a piece of his art. Now several of his NFTs have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It’s far too early to tell if NFTs are the future of art, and the concept has attracted a fair share of criticism from some quarters. But for FEWOCiOUS, they gave him the chance to realize his dream of making enough money to move out of his parents’ home and gain independence doing what he loves. Now he’s determined to help other teenage artists achieve the same kind of success.

An escape route

FEWOCiOUS says he started creating art as a way to escape the pain of an abusive household.

“A lot of my pieces, when I first started, I began because I was crying and had no one to tell my hurt to. I would just start drawing and draw until I stopped crying or until I forgot about it,” he says.

Even though it helped him cope, his family didn’t like his art, he says. “They were always mad because of how weird it is. They would be like, if you’re going to paint, why don’t you do a landscape?”

FEWOCiOUS’s signature is his use of dynamic and vibrant colors as well as the distorted, unrealistic proportions in his artwork. A lot of his work features moving images and sound.

FEWOCiOUS’s family immigrated to the United States. He says they didn’t support his art career and wanted him to pursue something more stable, like law or medicine.

“I became an embarrassment to my family because they were like, we came from another country and we did all this stuff, how dare you be here and try to be an artist?”

He wanted to move out as soon as he could, so he created a website to sell prints and paintings. About a year later, he was able to sell one for $90 — the most he’d ever made from a sale at that point.

Months later, the person who bought that painting sent FEWOCiOUS a message encouraging him to turn his art into NFTs. Crypto-art is the future, he said.

“I ignored his email because I thought he was trying to scam me,” FEWOCiOUS says with a laugh. But he eventually started doing some research, which inspired him to submit an application to SuperRare.

In just a few months, FEWOCiOUS has sold multiple pieces for over half a million dollars.

FEWOCiOUS was eventually able to move out of his family home, and to a completely different state. He says he doesn’t talk to his family anymore.

“I feel healthier and in a way, I feel them not supporting my art at all fueled this fire. If my own blood won’t support my art, then who else will?” he says. “Art saved my life in so many different ways.”

Standing up for the kids

One reason people find FEWOCiOUS’s work so compelling is that it is so personal.

“That's why collectors buy from him; they don't just buy a FEWOCiOUS piece. They buy a part of his thoughts, feelings, his story,” says Pierce (@Blizzy), a member of a three-person teenage artist collective called RetroCoin (@RETROCOIN).

The group, which also features Caleb (@cehlub) and Nick (@BaranVisuals), has created NFT artwork like The Game of Life, a piece that features the devil and an angel playing a game of chess. The piece sold for 5 ETH (about $8,000).

RetroCoin is now planning a series of NFT-based characters that would be accompanied by a physical figurine. One of the characters they want to feature is FEWOCiOUS.

All three of the artists in the group draw “a deep meaning and a profound message” from his art, says Pierce. But what also stands out to them is how FEWOCiOUS hasn’t let his newfound fame and wealth distract him from helping young artists that are still starting out.

“He sends positivity around the community and sets a better example for everyone,” says Pierce. “FEWOCiOUS shows that he is not cordoned off to the VIP area.”

FEWOCiOUS has even been known to get involved in art auctions to make sure that his peers don’t miss out on profits.

Jaiden (@jastidesigns on Twitter) had just gotten his learner’s permit and was saving up for a car when he sold one of his pieces for 20 ETH (about $30,000 at the time).

The 15-year-old recalls being at a youth group meeting when a friend texted him a screenshot saying he’d gotten a bid on his art by FEWOCiOUS.

“I was like, oh my gosh, what?!” Jaiden says.

“I saw Jaiden on SuperRare and one of his pieces was bidding at 1 ETH when I saw it,” FEWOCiOUS said. “I was like, I need to bid on this so people can’t come in here and try to see this 15-year-old and be like ‘aww you’re 15.’”

Instead, FEWOCiOUS started a bidding war with another NFT artist also featured in this story, Justin (@jstngraphics). NFT investor Beanie (@beaniemaxi) joined in and by the next morning, the highest bid for Jaiden’s piece had reached 20 ETH ($36,000 at current prices). Jaiden ended up accepting Beanie’s bid. It was the highest amount he’d made on any of his artwork.

“The most I’d ever gotten for anything was $70 for some cover art I’d made. I thought it was good for my age,” Jaiden said. “If my work is worth this much, I was very very undervalued before.”

“We are truly at the beginning of a seismic shift in the art industry,” says Beanie. “The talent that these kids have, it’s mind-blowing.”

One challenge for young NFT artists will be to avoid being taken advantage of by art collectors, says Beanie.

“Collectors are like sharks, they’ll offer young artists an amount that seems like a lot but isn’t actually,” he says. “I often tell artists, you only have one chance to launch, so if you throw out all your art for really cheap, it’s going to affect you forever.”

Navigating the art world can be challenging for any artist, young or old, and whether their art is digital or physical. NFTs may represent a new kind of marketplace, but it’s still just humans buying and selling art.

Towards the end of our conversation, I asked FEWOCiOUS what advice he’d give a (slightly) younger version of himself if he could go back to a time before he started selling his NFTs.

“Talk to the collectors as a person, not as a bank,” he said. “Because at the end of the day we’re all just connecting as people.”

Communication and authenticity are vital, he told The Block. “I was the kid in my bedroom talking up a storm and just being myself. You just gotta be yourself and truly yourself and make the art you want to make, and not be intimidated by what’s already out there.”