A born ‘n’ bred Londoner, Rutvig Vaid graduated from the Kent Institute of Art & Design in Maidstone with an HND in Graphics & Illustration. He went on to Columbus State University in Georgia, USA for his BFA in Fine Arts before attending the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, for their MFA course.
His early work consisted primarily of non-representational canvases using acrylics, exploring relationships between organic forms and geometric shapes. But his current work focusses on the subtle abstractions found within the human form, primarily through graphite portraits of figures from film and television.
Being a fan, Star Wars has always crept up in his work but now shows up prominently in his portfolio. He has created various pieces for both private clients and conventions, including bespoke Star Wars images for his wife Arti Shah (of TFA and Guardians of the Galaxy fame), Miltos Yerolemou (TFA, Game of Thrones) and Mike Edmonds (Return of the Jedi, Dark Crystal, Time Bandits). A recent artistic venture saw him live drawing Darth Vader, projected on a cinema screen, to an audience of a thousand+ people at WinterKino, an annual event held in Bern, Switzerland.
Vaid has also been working as a writer, actor and filmmaker since 2010, writing and performing his first short play for the London stage in 2015. He’s appeared in various short films and ads (Jameson and Carlsberg), as well as acted, directed and produced various shorts, with his latest, ‘Robbed’ due to hit the festival circuit in 2017.