Wazza Waltana is a substitution for my name own to suggest that behind this project is a person studying and executing visual concepts to record the inspiration within.
Wazza is a name I first heard from a childhood friend. He had moved from Sydney and claimed Wazza to be a popular Aussie nickname for those whose names start with the letter W back home. It has always stuck with me.
Altana is a scramble of the letters in the name of the city I grew up in the orbit of. The W was added to reference a variety of apple tree named Waltana. This is a nod to my surname which also grows on trees.
My reality is overflowing with consumerism, intoxication, sugar and greed designed to prevent the feeling of fulfillment. I illustrate the activities that fill my soul and fight this self fulfillment thievery.
The Hot Fud Days
I began illustrating under the alias Hot Fud receiving commissions for NFT derivatives. This involved taking popular profile picture NFTs and illustrating the characters in my own style. I named the series Fudville. Many of the digital canvases featured the characters sporting streetwear and standing in front of iconic cars.
The name Hot Fud had been something I planned to change since I finished Fudville in late 2021 because I knew the name only made sense to those who were familiar with the crypto acronym FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). Hot Fud likened fud to hot fudge and referenced the overwhelming amount of fud people poured over projects during the 2021 crypto bull run.
As I matured into subject matter of more personal interest I released my genesis series during the spring of 2022 featuring 10 unique instrumentalists, all one of one pieces, named Bluesman.
I stuck with Hot Fud during 2022 because I thought it was a memorable handle that would attract attention. All the while I felt Hot Fud confused my artworks’ meaning because of having a name suggesting something jaded and unhappy.
I changed my alias to Wazza Waltana in March of 2023.