Lauren J Matthews

Illustrator and sequential artist based in Blyth, Northumberland. I'm primarily inspired by manga art (in particular the works of Junji Ito, CLAMP and Kaori Yuki), but I draw from a wide range of artistic styles – ranging from H.R. Giger and Tim Burton to the Pre-Raphaelites! My work tends to explore themes of the occult, folklore, mental health, and both psychological & body horror. I particularly like to confront people's expectations of 'cute' art by adding a disturbing twist. I also take a lot of inspiration from the natural world, which feeds into my spiritual practice as a pagan. I find that sequential art tells stories in a vivid and diverse way that cannot be achieved with prose. Much of my art is completed digitally via Clip Studio Paint and my trusty Wacom tablet, but I also like to create illustrations with markers, watercolours and mixed media.