Akthawicked: The self acclaimed dysfunctional creative
The creative scene in Nigeria is growing each day with various art forms being explored by the youth. In Nigeria and Africa as a whole, creative minds are pushing the boundaries of art and culture every day, making a name for themselves. One of these creative spectacles doing amazing work is with us today. He goes by Akthawicked, a Lagos-based Visual Artist, and independent filmmaker. He calls himself a “Dysfunctional Creative.”
AK’s early aspirations revolved around football and medicine, but his curiosity for art and cartoons persisted. In senior secondary school, the path became clearer, leading him to discover his passion for art. Despite facing initial setbacks in getting university admission, AK found his calling in the visual arts.
His portfolio includes collaborations with brands like Airtel, Ecobank, Capcut, Universal, Tik-Tok, and Spotify.
In an exclusive interview, AK opens up about his journey from a reserved individual to a thriving artist, graphic designer, and independent filmmaker. Here’s an insightful look into what we talked about;
Introduce yourself name? Age? And what you do?
Reply: I am AKintunde, AK for short, I am 25 and I am a creative artist and an independent filmmaker.
How was growing up in Nigeria like?
Reply: I grew up in an average Nigerian home. I had the basic things, but growing up, I realized how tough and hard it is to pursue greatness here in Nigeria. So far, it’s been a tough journey with lots of ups and downs.
Did you always want to pursue a career in art?
Reply: Crazy! But No! I was in the Science department in secondary school even when I have always loved art and created drawings, videos, music as a kid. I never saw it as something I was going to pursue later in life until I left secondary school.
You’ve coined the term “Dysfunctional Creative” to describe yourself. What does it mean to be a dysfunctional creative?
Reply: Dysfunctional Creative means not operating normally. I have always felt different growing up. I just always feel like I don’t really do things the normal way. I always want to create different things and do things my way.
Independent filmmaking? Of all the art forms why this?
Reply: Independent filmmaking is the only niche for me that can allow me to explore other art forms without feeling like I am doing too much. It gives me creative freedom, and it’s also the one I feel I can easily build my audience around.
From your story, one can say collaborations have been pivotal in shaping your artistic perspective. Can you share a bit about your most impactful collaborations?
Reply: I have had a few that has helped me see the creative world differently, but the biggest and most recent being my collaboration with Spotify. Collaborations, when approached with the right mindset, have the power to transform your journey as an artist.
Your story reflects both triumphs and challenges; we’ve particularly seen you rant a lot recently on Twitter about some of the issues you face as a creative in Nigeria. You even contemplate on leaving Nigeria. How do you navigate these struggles?
Reply: It’s frustrating, bro…I want to leave, to be honest. The system here sometimes hinders my creative process. It’s difficult to get paid or pay for stuff because of my location. I’ve thought about leaving, and it might happen. I feel like I’ll be better off abroad because my fans are mostly non-Nigerians, and working from another country could open up more opportunities.
On some of your notable works. You worked with the legendary Grammy award-winning Angelique Kidjo. How much did that mean to you?
Reply: It was a standout moment for me in 2021 and my biggest pay then, which was about $1,200, the highest-paid gig I did for an artist lol. It was a significant milestone and opened doors for more opportunities.
Your rise on social media, especially TikTok, is noteworthy. Can you walk us through the strategies that led to a significant increase in your followers, and how it impacted your career?
Reply: Earlier this year, I was on like 10k Instagram followers and 5k TikTok followers, so for IG in September, I started posting a video every day, I mean every single day I didn’t miss, these weren’t anyhow videos; these were well-made videos. I just kept sharing my art every day and from that video streak in September, I was able to go from 13k to 26k, that’s double my followers. On TikTok, while posting my work and art, people kept requesting tutorials on how to edit, so I leaned into that and started putting out tutorials every day, and this shot up my views and took my TikTok from 5k followers to 80k followers today. Currently, my work is being used to promote TikTok in other countries.
The recent work you did for Spotify was a viral sensation on social media, Twitter most especially. You even got their attention through this. How did that come about?
Reply: I did that for Spotify hoping to get their attention this year. I have been creating for Spotify for a long time, the Asake “work of art” album I worked on an edit for the project on Spotify …So for this one in particular, I really wanted to see what’ll happen so I shot and edited the video in 4hrs, I posted the video, then I left Twitter just to come back to my tweet going viral lol, I was really grateful cause this is something I really wanted. Then I got DM and email from someone at Spotify acknowledging my work and offering me a spot to work as a creator for them.
How would you describe your work in three words?
Reply: Wicked! Wicked!! Wicked!!!
Dream brands or collaborators you aspire to work with in the future?
Reply: I want to work with a lot of brands from Apple, Spotify, Nike, Vans, Oraimo, Vogue, Time, Meta, Google, YouTube, Netflix, and so on. My creativity is not boxed; I can collaborate with any brand in any industry.
Reflecting on your journey, what advice would you offer to aspiring creatives based on your
experiences, triumphs, and challenges?
Reply: What I would say is always Document your plans with pen and paper, pursue them with intent. Consistency is crucial—be persistent and focused, and I feel creatives should support themselves more. Don’t be scared to share your work and be extra focused. Just be good to one another. Love is the greatest.
Looking ahead, what aspirations or goals do you have for your artistic career?
Reply: The major goal I am pushing for is my own event called “Failed Artist.” It involves music, fashion, art and filmmaking; it’s my ultimate goal touring and showing my art to people in different forms in different parts of the world.
