aqua was born in brooklyn, new york. he studied graphic design at the university of texas at austin, where he developed his first solo music and performance art projects, assacre and mvsclz, while organizing several diy/avant-garde art and music events throughout austin with the collective totally wreck production institute. shortly after completing his degree, he began documenting his eccentric peers in photographic portraits involving "totally nonsensical, zany situations in beautifully/bizarrely decorated spaces".