A guy who describes his morning routine as

“watching football news about my team, breakfast and shower,”

doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who spends the rest of his time painting highly realistic and illusionistic 3D murals on the sides of old buildings. However, as viewers learn about Odeith, they find an enormously talented artist who has carved out a specific niche in the busy street art industry.

It’s a comfort to know that such an extraordinary graffiti artist has much the same morning routine as you and I do. Yet Odeith claims that he is living his ultimate and most wild dream, being a professional mural artist working out of his hometown. He wouldn’t trade that for anything. Now, I suppose if you were to view artwork by Odeith, you would have a similar reaction as I did, maintaining a steady stare in wild amazement for countless minutes at some of the most uniquely realistic street art created. Odeith works exhibit an energy and inner joy in their conception and challenging realization - taking every opportunity to play with the human mind.

Odeith's artwork is composed of fantastic renderings of creatures and objects with perspective manipulated in a way which allows the illusion of three dimensionality. Odeith’s knack for finding specific structures perfect for street art and combining them with an extensive knowledge of perspective has garnered the worldwide fame he now enjoys.

Odeith Artwork in the Making

Odeith’s moniker comes from the Portugal word Odeio-te which means “I hate you.” While it's origin seems pretty dark, it is the perfect name to describe Odeith’s highly inventive style which he has termed “Dark 3D”.

His tale began in Lisbon, Portugal in the year 1976. Born in the district of Damaia, Odeith began tinkering with graffiti art during what he describes as a street art revolution in Lisbon. He attributes the beginnings of his mural work to a natural inclination for the artistic, including movies, music, and painting.

However, Odeith is very open about his early problems and origins of his eventual career. Fortunately, Odeith is an artist that never gave in to what he describes as a massive struggle.  

“Nowadays, I live as an artist, it was a huge battle, but I never gave up, always trying to improve and do more and original pieces, learning and most of all trying to overcome my own self.”

His commitment to constant development pushed him into the worldwide spotlight in 2005 and he has never stepped out of it since. Perhaps more than anything, Odeith is a testament that, while the road to artistic fame isn’t easy, a persistent creative can overcome.

A Three-Dimensional Take

Odeith's grafitti style is quite unique for the graffiti / mural / street art scene. With mantises, monkeys, spiders, werewolves and many other creatures and objects, Odeith has built a trend of creating and bringing to life aspects of the fantastic, presenting his subject matter in a uniquely trippy realistic 3D way. Always pushing his own boundaries, he prides himself on continually evolving his work, approach and technical applications.

Odeith's artwork exhibits a most delicate level of patience in the murals, crafted with the perfect placement of highlights and shading, utilizing corners, the floor, and oddly-shaped structures to push the subject from the architectural canvas and into reality. Yet, for all his planning and care, many times Odeith does not receive the finished product that he had imagined, a moment he describes as an extreme disappointment.  Still, even these failures are a tribute to an artist who isn’t satisfied to stay where he is. With his commitment to continually improving and experimenting with his work, there is no telling where the next evolution will take Odeith artwork.

The Success of Odeith's Mural Work   

With a track record of success, Odeith is lucky enough to be able to call the entire world his home. His love for travel originated at an early age and has allowed him to easily adapt and experience new and interesting cultures. Of course, the cultures in turn love seeing and experiencing Odeith's mural work, in their own city.

Sometimes his pieces highlight a certain global issue the artist wishes to address, while other times he honors artistic legends such as Américo Ribeiro and Bob Marley. He has completed commissions and collaborations with many companies including the London Shell, Kingsmill, the Coca-Cola Company, Estradas de Portugal, Samsung, and Sport Lisboa e Benfica (football club). With growing portfolio of brands and worldwide locations, we can only see Odeith's popularity growing.

Odeith: Current and Future   

Although the buildup to fame was slow at first, Odeith now has more work than he can keep up with. The artist splits his artistic interests between various personal projects and commercial commissions. Regardless of the source of his work, Odeith's 3D murals are, of course, his main focus.

Some of his most recent notable works have included a mural of a wrecked bus that went viral, a skull, and King Ape. Odeith also tinkers with more traditional styles such as lettering. Furthermore, Odeith's artwork is often exhibited in galleries - always adhering to the same three-dimensional style the artist craves, such as with his lizard for Galeria Municipal Artur Bual and fish for Alameda Shop and Spot.

Apart from his large-scale murals, Odeith also exercises his creativity with studies in acrylic and watercolor, many of which he uses for shows and his personal shop. Odeith even has a YouTube channel which showcases recent and past mural installations as well as demos.

Perhaps the most fantastic part of Odeith’s story is the artist’s personal joy to be living the life he worked so hard for. May his story inspire the next generation of street artists to never give up on their dream.