Vadim’s journey into design began with a lifelong passion for creating and beauty. Growing up in an unfinished farmhouse in Schilde, he constantly transformed spaces—sparked by early memories like a Gucci store etagère in Antwerp lined with thousands of Tabasco bottles, where his mother briefly worked. This fascination with interiors and storytelling through objects shaped his creative vision and convinced him that creation is “the essence of life.”

After studying economics and spending years in software development, Vadim rediscovered his calling during the spring 2020 lockdown. Oil painting reignited his creative drive, but he soon realized that this 2D, non‑tangible format felt as confining as the computer world he had been escaping. He then set out to find help in Lisbon to create tangible works that spark emotion and contemplation.

In early 2022, he founded A.D.U. (A Deeper Understanding), a studio split between Antwerp and Lisbon. It was through this journey—and by teaming up with architects and product designers Jean-Michel and Joao of Marvilab—that Vadim finally managed to combine his seemingly contradictory passions for interior design and technology into a singular vision: elevated technological design in function of contemplation.