vincelowe

Childhood can be difficult–dealing with homework, classmates, teachers, parents, and sweaty, screaming gym coaches is enough to frustrate anyone. But add a learning difficulty like dyslexia to that mix and “difficult” becomes a drastic understatement. For many, the frustration of being mislabeled as lazy or simply shunned for having difficulty in school can turn into a lifetime of trouble–but that doesn’t need to be the case. In fact, with just a little understanding and some patience on the part of teachers and family members, young dyslexics can turn into extremely successful and talented adults, as Malaysian artist Vince Lowe so ably proves!

Despite his unhappy school days, Vince has gone from a “bad kid” to a well-respected professional with art skills that are simply amazing.

Before we let you get a look at Vince’s art–and believe us, it’s nothing short of fantastic–we have to tell you a little bit about his story.

▼Okay, one sneak peek. Here’s his take on the most beautiful woman in history.

Posed shot of Kimbo Slice Credit:  Tom Casino/EliteXC  D120008

Vince explains on his website that, as a kid, he struggled desperately at school. No matter how hard he tried, he simply found himself unable to complete his homework on time. Now, you might think that’s just an excuse–his teachers certainly did. According to the artist, he was punished nearly every day in elementary school for not finishing his homework, which we think should have a been a sign of a deeper problem, but then again, we’re not teachers. Of course, the punishments didn’t end when he moved up to junior high school–but he did become a target for bullies.

With all the abuse he was taking from both teachers and peers, it’s understandable that the youth eventually became sick of school and found himself hanging out with the “gangsters,” as he called them. While we’re sure that there are some gangsters with hearts of gold, it doesn’t really seem like the typical path to success, we would say. However, that’s obviously not the end of the story for Vince, who was eventually confronted about his poor behavior by a friend from elementary school.

Realizing he wasn’t headed down the right path, Vince refocused himself to concentrate on his studies, working hard to turn his life around. In the end, he found…well, not success. “But very unfortunately, I couldn’t change a thing, and in the end I still failed,” he wrote on his website.

▼Yeah, this how we would feel too.

hulk1

Fortunately, he had some smart parents who realized that the young man might need to change his focus a little and decided to give the youth a shot with art and music. And then everything just clicked–Vince found himself not just completing tasks but excelling at them as well. Eventually, Vince became a full-time illustrator and later a creative director at an advertising agency. Which bring us to his latest project working on campaigns spreading awareness about dyslexia.

▼And after that, how about something on the dangers of smoking?

wolverine1

As Vince writes on his website:

“When my creative director briefed me on the job, he showed me a video of how the letters blink and move when a dyslexic reads them. I was shocked, stunned and speechless. At that moment, I found out that I was a dyslexic too! The learning disability I had experienced wasn’t normal to everyone, [the] majority of the people don’t see letters jumping, moving or blinking when they read. I was absolutely taken aback; I did not know what to feel. Then came the second turning point in my life.”

The turning point was realizing that there was a reason he had struggled in school–and that he wasn’t alone. And with this information came a drive to help others. Vince has helped create the campaigns you see below which are aimed at raising awareness to ensure that other kids and their parents won’t go through the same ordeal. As he wrote on his website: “I believe that successful awareness campaigns will help change many children’s lives, which will guide them to the better and brighter side of being dyslexic.”

▼Perhaps he also hopes to win the Internet by drawing cats. A solid plan, actually!

cat1

Here are a few of the “scribble” posters Vince illustrated specifically for the campaign. The posters show some famous dyslexics and prove that having a learning disability doesn’t mean you’re stupid at all. Unless you think Einstein was lacking in the intelligence department.

▼”In which case, ‘Thhhhppttttt!'”

Dyslexia _einstein

Dyslexia _picasso

Dyslexia _picasso

In addition to the campaign posters, Vince has also put a ton of his illustrations online on Behance for public viewing. We’ve chosen a few our favorites, but you will definitely want to spend some time looking through his portfolio.

monkey1

joker1

brucelee1

wonderwoman1

If you’re looking for some insight into his “scribble” art, Vince explained that as he scribbled he discovered the potential in his doodles–much like a dyslexic finding his or her own personal strength. We have to say that it’s a beautiful metaphor–and one that he’s brought expertly to life! Take a look at this series of illustrations to see Vince take a kernel and turns into a full, gorgeous drawing.

jimi1

jimi2

jimi3

jimi4

Finally, as stunning as Vince’s scribbles are, that’s not the only style he’s mastered. Going in a completely different direction, here’s a piece from his “Monster Babies” series.

▼Remember parents, don’t give your kids charcoal before bedtime!

baby1

You can see more of Vince’s art on his Behance page or buy prints on his website, which you should waste no time in visiting!

Sources: Vince Lowe, Behance (h/t Distractify)
Images: Behance, Vince Lowe (featured image)