“I’ve found myself preoccupied with ideas surrounding control, specifically, how much control we have in our own lives, and how much we have in our creative practices. Somewhat subconsciously, this has manifested in producing more exploratory work, choosing not to ‘draw a picture of a bird’, but simply draw, and see what is revealed”

Matthew is an artist who primarily creates comics and illustrations. He studied illustration at Duncan of Jordanstone, graduating in 2019. His practice is rooted in drawing, often informed by his observations of the everyday. He is particularly inspired by natural forms he frequently encounters; the twisted roots of trees, the burgeoning forms in plants, the fall and texture of human hair, the idiosyncrasies of the body. Aesthetically, he identifies with the lowbrow and alternative comics scene, as well as outsider and naïve art. He often starts working with no clear outcome in mind, simply exploring where the process takes him, an approach which often leads to fluid ideas and aesthetics in the pursuit of surprising himself.