The art world has never looked more vibrant. As new technology provides convenience for people across various industries, artists are taking full advantage by using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to create artwork that can be sold on blockchain platforms like Victor Langlois’ $50 million dollar revenue. The 19 year old transgender prodigy generated over half a billion dollars through a combination of traditional, physical works and NFTs, with the latter generating the most revenue.
In July last year, Victor Langlois broke out into the mainstream when he put up a mix of his physical artworks and NFTs at Christie’s auction house in New York. The “Hello I’m Victor (FEWOCiOUS) And This Is My Life” collection explored childhood memories alongside gender transitions that have been difficult for him throughout life but are now something worth celebrating because they help people understand themselves better through his works. Additionally, Victor’s work sold for a staggering $2.16 million.
In April, the artist sold over $20 million worth of digital art in 24 hours. His sale was the third-largest for the NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway. Victor’s success can be attributed to his expertise and skill when it comes down creating pieces that are both aesthetically pleasing as well realistic from detailed perspective
Growing up as a transgender kid is not easy. Victor, also known as FEWOCiOUS spoke with Fortune to describe the challenges he faced.
“It’s been hard for me to process, to be honest,” revealed the artist.
Victor grew up in an abusive household, and he would later be taken to live with his grandparents. However, life was no better than before.
“I thought I would be safe,” Victor explained. “But they were just as mean.”
Victor shared that he was scared to come out as transgender due the religious beliefs of his family. He mentioned how his Latina grandmother often encouraged him not to pursue art careers because they don’t lead anywhere lucrative or earn an income sufficient for a household’s needs.
“I think she struggled so much that she wanted security,” Victor shared. “To see me wanting to pursue art, she was like, ‘What? Be a lawyer,’ which I understand. But it hurt when she would say, ‘Your art is ugly, and that’s why you can’t do it.”
His family never expected him to become one of the most successful teenagers in NFT space. Since then Victor Langlois has proven them wrong and has no plans to stop doing what he loves.
