Rhys Brown 'Madeline' Original Available

Artist: Rhys Brown
Title: Madeline
Medium: Original Canvas
Size: 70 x 80 cm
Edition: UNIQUE
Price: $800

 

Rhys Brown is a contemporary artist who uses his work to explore themes of nostalgia, childhood memory, and identity. He was born and raised in South London, where he began his artistic journey as a teenager, engaging in graffiti and creating a style of street poetry on the walls near his home, an approach he developed without prior knowledge of artists like Basquiat. This early practice of finding inspiration in everyday observations and overheard conversations laid the foundation for his later studio work. Brown received formal art education at South Bank Colleges and the Croydon School of Art, graduating in 2014, which helped him transition his focus from illustration to a variety of media including sculpture, painting, and printmaking.

One of his most distinctive techniques is a process he calls "vegan gyotaku," a unique interpretation of the traditional Japanese method of fish printing, originally used by fishermen to record their catches. Brown has adapted this method by using plush toys, objects with a universal emotional resonance, as his subjects. The process involves applying ink to the soft, unpredictable surfaces of the toys and then pressing them onto a canvas or paper, creating unique relief prints that capture the object's form. These works, along with his oversized teddy bear paintings that have been compared to Yves Klein's Anthropometries series, are known for their ability to evoke a sense of youth and happiness in the viewer.

Brown's art is produced in a way that ensures each print is unique due to the variable pressure and movement applied during the process. His work has gained international recognition and has been exhibited in galleries and art fairs across major cities including London, Paris, Seoul, and Taipei. He previously worked as an artist assistant at the Pure Evil Gallery and is also the founder of Joyride Editions, a venture that produces limited edition prints and handmade sculptures for various artists. His career includes several sold out solo print releases and a growing presence in the global contemporary art market.