Bio + Statement
I approach painting like a builder, using wax, spray paint, and print techniques to construct multi-layered, multi-sensory experiences. My work reflects a fascination with the visual and spatial rhythms of metropolitan life, capturing both its energy and nuance.
Encaustic paint is central to my practice. Beeswax, with its unique and responsive qualities, guides the process as much as I do, shaping surfaces, textures, and forms in a dynamic partnership. In my paintings, layers of wax are built over acrylic washes, oil, and spray paints, weaving organic and geometric shapes across positive and negative space. The result is a delicate sculptural surface, where traces of memory and time resonate.
In my monotype series, the process is immediate and visceral. Heated wax responds to the movement of my hand, creating lines and textures that suggest depth and three-dimensionality. Here, I remove rather than add, revealing the medium’s innate character.
My rhythmical wall sculptures extend these investigations into folded corrugated cardboard. The energetic geometric forms, coated with textured encaustic on the front and acrylic on the back, interact with light to produce a subtle, warm glow. Angles and planes twist and bend, animating the work with a lyrical quality.
Ultimately, I think of my work as internalized landscapes — reflections of urban experience, where time, space, sight, and sound converge into a quiet, resonant intensity.
About David Brown
David Brown is a Canadian artist whose work explores the intersections of body, landscape, and structure through drawing, painting, folded reliefs, and assemblage. His practice investigates how human perception interprets spatial and geological forms, using folds, layers, and surfaces as both metaphor and formal device. Through tactile constructions, photography, and drawing, he examines how bodies and environments echo and respond to one another.
Trained at the Ontario College of Art & Design University (AOCA, 1992) in Industrial and Communication Design, Brown combines material experimentation with formal composition in his work. His encaustic paintings, monotypes, and folded wall sculptures have been exhibited widely in Canada and the U.S., including solo exhibitions at Emily Harding Gallery (Toronto) and The Painting Center (New York). His work is held in private and corporate collections across North America, Europe, and Asia, and he has completed major commissions, including four large-scale works for Manulife Financial in Toronto.
In addition to his studio practice, Brown is a committed arts organizer. He founded SpeakEasy Toronto and the Five Star Collective, initiatives that support artists at all career stages by fostering networks, international exposure, and professional development.
David’s current research investigates the dialogue between bodies and landscapes, exploring perception, memory, and form through folded reliefs, photographic documentation, and assemblages. He continually experiments with how new materials and environments influence his practice, including site-responsive and portable processes.
Current Research
I am exploring the intersection of body, landscape, and structure through folded reliefs, photographic documentation, and small-scale assemblages. My work investigates how human perception interprets and internalizes spatial and geological forms, using folds, layers, and surfaces as both metaphor and formal device. By translating life drawings, architectural observations, and environmental impressions into tactile constructs, I examine how bodies and landscapes echo and respond to one another.
Geological formations — particularly folds and striations in natural landscapes — serve as recurring metaphors for memory, time, and human experience. These structures inform rhythm, composition, and scale, whether in intimate paper reliefs or larger wall-mounted pieces.
I work with portable, responsive processes: drawing, folded paper constructions, photographic studies, and small assemblages using locally sourced materials. Through these methods, I explore how perception, environment, and form influence one another, translating everyday experience into visual and spatial narratives.
This research continues my broader investigation into the dialogue between bodies, environments, and constructed forms, revealing how observation shapes memory, space, and understanding.