Canadian artist Mat Brown’s primary concern is the immensity of time and space. His large drawings, rendered delicately with transparent inks on board, resemble science-book illustrations, yet there is something that activates and separates them from mere illustrations of the universe, prehistory and the ancient world. His images are populated by human figures – most of them naked – interspersed alongside dinosaurs, ancient mammals, insects and birds, and the primordial soup at the formation of the earth. His images teem with raw sexuality and the barbarity and violence of the natural world.

Mat Brown grew up in Toronto, and now spends his time between the shores of Lake Ontario and a studio in Berlin. In his own words, he explains how ‘the illustrative style that I use lends itself well to narrative storytelling. I create intricate depictions of what I can only describe as my personal worldview, meaning I create elaborate narratives around how I see the world, how I was educated, and a reflection of the culture I come from. I was raised in a white Christian family and educated in the public school system. The cultural influence of my upbringing is something I try to be honest about when approaching large subjects like the evolution of life on earth, political narratives about contemporary culture, and major issues like climate change. The aim of my work, or the intent of it, is to convey a kind of open stream-of-consciousness satire of the world I see myself living in. I hope to achieve some level of communication with the viewer, not necessarily in a literal way, but at least a world which the viewer can enter and discover details of recognition.’

Mat Brown’s website can be found here, and his Instagram account, where he regularly shows new work, is here.

We are grateful to our Russian friend Yuri for introducing us to the work of this artist.