WILL SELVIZ - 2021
Will Selviz is an Afro Caribbean 3D and VFX designer, recently graduated from OCAD U's Digital Futures programs which combines VR/AR with programming and entrepreneurship. He runs a remote motion graphic studio called RENDRD Media whose focus is to provide jobs and educate BIPOC youth and the community at large in the ever-growing creative economy.
His VMF Winter Arts AR piece, “Homeaway” was a call for connection to people newly settled in unfamiliar places, as he stated in his Artist Statement: “It takes courage to give up the comfort and familiarity of our homeland for a better future. This piece is for my fellow immigrants, temporary residents, refugees and newcomers. This is for those who bought a one-way ticket to a country they had never visited, and are still waiting for the day to return.
This is a reminder to be kind to those who are making that leap, especially during these times of social isolation. As a 4th generation immigrant, the word “home” lost its geographic context over time. I embraced that home will always be within me, and within those I love and cherish. The immigrant experience is heavily influenced by our day-to-day interactions with others, whether they are positive or negative. This piece juxtaposes the feelings of judgement and acceptance that make or break our experience as immigrants.”
Moved by his powerful and inspiring concept and leadership in connecting BIPOC youth to the arts community, we wanted to learn more, so we asked him a few questions. After reading his candid answers we think you’ll agree he’s not only a unique creative, but also an incredible influence with a huge heart. (February 2021)
VMF: What does working in the arts mean to you personally?
WS: Today's definition of design can often feel very solution-based; as if your main purpose is to provide an answer. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, I think the beauty lies in allowing the artist within us to take a step back, observe, and deconstruct everyday patterns. The artist within us is able to ask complex questions without expecting an answer, but to start a conversation. To me, working as an artist is absorbing, deconstructing and reinterpreting the human experience through our own unique lenses, to let the viewer relate or disagree with the outcome.
I want the audience to understand everyday interactions carry enough weight to make someone feel loved and welcomed. Compassion and inclusiveness come a long way, especially when we are Homeaway.
VMF: What do you want others to take away with this piece?
WS: There's many layers to these two pieces, so those who seek to connect with it will find multiple entries.
Homeaway is a series of AR sculptures about the meaning of 'home' and understanding the immigrant experience. I've been an immigrant for longer than I have not, so ‘home’ has slowly transcended its geographical meaning and lives within me and those I cherish. I believe every interaction we have as foreigners can result in either a welcoming or excluding experience.
Dismissal references works from Afro-Caribbean painter, José Bedia, and Venezuelan artist, Jesús Rafael Soto, to embody the feeling of rejection and judgement we may often face. On the other hand, Embracing embodies the loving and harmonious feeling of acceptance we all seek. The arrays of dots forming these sculptures also hold a special meaning, but I will leave it at that.
In short, I want the audience to understand everyday interactions carry enough weight to make someone feel loved and welcomed. Compassion and inclusiveness come a long way, especially when we are Homeaway.
VMF: How did you get into multidimensional design work?
WS: I'd say my journey feels both unorthodox and organic at the same time.
I learned drawing and painting throughout middle school and high school. I made the jump to photography when I got my first DSLR 10 years ago (full disclosure: it was the family camera and I became obsessed with it). Around that same time, I also discovered 3D animation and Augmented Reality. I wasn't sure where this would take me, but all this media exploration made me realize they could intersect to create something unique.
In 2016, I was accepted into OCAD University's Digital Futures program, where I was introduced to VR/AR, generative design and physical prototyping. This program challenged me to learn new software and tools on the daily, and helped find my niche within multidimensional design. Today, I find myself sketching concepts, applying photography lighting and composition to my 3D renders, and deploying them as AR sculptures.
Looking back I realized every skill and experience we gain along the way helps us build our toolbox, and these tools will come in handy when we least expect them. We just need to trust the process and follow our curiosity.
VMF: RENDRD Media sounds like such an amazing way to help connect youth to the creative world. Can you tell us more about the studio / how it started?
WS: RENDRD started as a student-led arts and culture digital space known as RENDRD Magazine back in 2015. I was very interested in creating a collaborative platform for young talent in Canada and abroad, with a focus in the PNW. It was a beautiful 2-year journey that resulted in some great community, events and relationships, but I wasn’t ready to take it on full-time while attending school in Toronto, so I decided to wait until I finished my studies.
In 2019, I realized I wanted to go deeper into motion graphics, VR and VFX, so RENDRD Media was born. Since then, we have maintained a 100% BIPOC roster while working with brands such as Nike, Prada, Jordan Brand, Bell Media, Universal Music Group, Revolt TV, Ciroc, and more.
The truth is my community is visibly underrepresented in the animation and tech industries. Enter RENDRD Foundation, a non-profit organization providing opportunities for BIPOC designers (with a focus in the Black community), through accessible hardware, software, and mentoring. If you are interested in contributing, donating or hearing more, send us a note!
VMF: Can you expand a bit more on how growing up in Kuwait and Venezuela influenced your work?
WS: I was born and raised in Venezuela, until I was 13. I remember the beautiful landscapes and warm people, but more importantly, my extended family and friends. Though I had a strong inclination towards drawing and painting then, the likelihood of making a living as an artist were very slim, so I never considered it. That quickly changed to when we moved to Kuwait and attended an American School there. I felt supported and encouraged by my art, design and computer science teachers until my last day there. Living in such contrasting environments made me a lot more empathetic towards newcomers. In fact, I was often asked to onboard new students on campus and guide them through their first semester.
I moved to Canada to attend UBC in 2013, and found myself adapting back to Western culture. Yet again, I felt a strong cultural clash and need to fit in. Being a foreigner for more than half my life feels strange, but this is exactly why I want to tell these stories through my work.
The political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela makes it nearly impossible to go back and relive these memories, so I chose to reclaim them by recreating my childhood memories in 3D.
The Cave (https://www.instagram.com/p/B9o5xMZHpXM/) and Grass Roots (https://www.instagram.com/p/B8__Z4IH4aT/).
Likewise, I still work with clients in Kuwait so I feel deeply connected to their arts and culture scene all the way from here.
