Crush #7 - Pepsi Max (Edition no. 2 of 5)

I used 9 hand cut stencil layers to create this oversized image of a crushed can. This piece is the first in a series entitled "Crush" which tries to create beauty from common waste.

Each of the paintings in the series consists of a collection of 5 hand painted stencil art prints, and one artist proof. Which means there are up to 5 versions for sale and one that I keep, each painted using the same stencil set. They are all slightly different in their own ways but overall the same concept and work.

Each work comes with certificate of authenticity, is signed and numbered.

The process of cutting the stencils took around 72 hours.

Painted using aerosol paints and hand cut stencils.

Each of my stencil artworks is created using a painstaking process involving many hours of hand cutting multiple layers. I start out with a photograph that I have taken, and work with that to create the different stencil layers which slowly build up the depth in the image.

To see a timelapse of a recent mural I painted for the Veriu Hotel Broadway in Sydney, which shows the painting process head to: https://youtu.be/26oJmY_7ua8

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I work in the realm of stencil art, weaving threads of photorealism and urban commentary, my work is a testament to the fusion of tradition and innovation.

Born in a small town in New Zealand in the early 80’s, I am a self taught Stencil Artist, Urban Photographer and Video Maker.

I began actively creating art and photography in 2006 with single layer stencils. Over the next few years my style evolved and took the form of a more photorealistic approach. Each piece emerges from meticulous craftsmanship, as I hand-cut stencils from paper, sometimes investing days in each layer. This labor-intensive process becomes a meditation on patience and precision, embodying my commitment to pushing the boundaries of photorealism within the stencil medium.

In 2008 I held my first solo exhibition at the Growroom Gallery in Auckland, which was a resounding success, and the following year moved to what was considered the stencil capital of the world, Melbourne, Australia.
The sprawling urban environment Melbourne provided became the inspiration for my work, and as I began to explore these new surroundings I also discovered my passion for capturing city life, and finding beauty in the mundane.

My thematic exploration is anchored in the urban landscape, where I delve into the nuances of urbanisation, nostalgia, and the rhythms of city life. Themes of sustainability and personal responsibility also thread through my work, echoing the imperative of conscientious living in an ever- evolving world.

Since 2009 I have been selected multiple times as a finalist in the Stencil Art Prize, an annual showcase of international stencil artists held biannually in Sydney. Through my art, I invite viewers to pause amidst the chaos of urban existence, to contemplate the interplay between the mundane and the extraordinary, the ephemeral and the eternal, viewing the resilience of the human spirit amidst the concrete jungle, a whispered reminder of the beauty and fragility of the world we inhabit.