Statement

Craig Shuttlewood is an artist and illustrator based in Brighton, UK. His work has been exhibited in many galleries from London to New York and purchased by private collectors.

Earlier work was more abstract, recapturing elements of decay, deterioration, time and change within a structural environment. The aim was to represent a neglected wall, rusted surface or the marks discovered behind wallpaper hung years previously. This series was constructed by building up the surface in layers, then sanding and scraping to expose colour and marks previously made.

Although there is still a clear interest experimenting with surface and layers, more recent work has gradually transformed into a visual diary. Colourful paintings on canvas, found wood and panel express quirky illustrative elements and words based on the beauty of everyday observations and stories. Tall buildings, trees, cup cakes, angels, birds and owls all appear along with snippets of found printed materials to make these unique pieces.

As well as larger paintings, Craig is interested in creating more tactile pieces such as books. A ‘sketchbook’ might start out as a large canvas but later be cut into pieces, roughly bound and worked into further. This process of breaking down and creating something completely different is producing popular results.