Original Art Piece

Buyer FAQ

Encaustic monotype with tessellation fold.

12x8"

Miura Ori is the best-known and most used origami corrugation. The folded pattern is named after Koryo Miura, who later designed a variant for folding solar panels on Japanese space probes. Simpler tessellations have been known since the 16th century.

I have been using tessellations for several years now. I animate and add dimension to the flat prints by folding my encaustic monotypes into lyrical sculptures. The undulating angles and geometric forms twist and bend the printed patterns.

After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design University in 1992, David Brown embarked on a remarkable 30+ year career in the global art and design industry, earning multiple awards for his outstanding contributions. In 1996, he received recognition from Toronto’s Design Exchange for his impactful work featured in the “Type Culture” exhibition, highlighting his pivotal role in Canadian Typography. David shared his expertise by teaching Industrial Design at OCADU from 1996 to 2006 while managing a successful product design studio. As the founder and managing director of SpeakEasy Events in Toronto since 1996, David has been dedicated to creating valuable networking opportunities for established and emerging artists. In 2013, he established the Five Star Collective, facilitating members’ engagement in international art opportunities such as Aqua Art Miami, Clio Art Fair, and Fountain NYC.

David’s artistic talents extend to abstract encaustic paintings, monotypes, and sculptures showcased in numerous galleries and museums across Canada and the U.S. His solo exhibition at The Painting Center in Chelsea, NYC, is a recent highlight. His works adorn private and corporate collections in North America, Europe, and Asia, while the products he designed have enjoyed successful sales across the continent. David’s impactful contributions have been featured in various books and magazines throughout Canada and the United States.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

I approach painting like a builder, using wax, spray paint, and print techniques to construct a multi-layered, multi-sensory experience. I am interested in observing, collecting, and reflecting on the visual cacophony of metropolitan life.
Encaustic paint has become an integral part of my process. Beeswax is an organic material with a strong personality. The range of qualities, surfaces, and textures it can yield is unmatched by any other painting material. The wax and I have formed a partnership; it tells me where and how to proceed as I guide and tease the molten medium.
In my paintings, layers of wax are painstakingly piled on top of acrylic washes, oil, and spray paints. Surface depth accumulates by weaving organic and geometric shapes, rendered in positive and negative forms, through different levels. The final result is a thin sculpture with fragments of long-forgotten messages resonating through.
In contrast, my monotype print series is an immediate exploration of the wax’s character. In this case, there is a visceral response when I bring a brick of wax onto a heated plate. The sensual flow of the medium tracks the movement of my hand and creates an illusion of three dimensions. Instead of adding layers, I remove the medium with silicon tools, making lines and textures to develop the compositions.
My rhythmical wall sculptures are made from folded corrugated cardboard. The energetic geometric structures are coated with a heavily textured Encaustic front surface and acrylic paint on the back to add an enchanted warm glow. The undulating angles and geometric forms twist and bend the animated and lyrical sculptures.
I think of my work as internalized landscapes that reflect the experience of living in Canada’s largest urban center — an encapsulation of all the daily sensory bombardments of the city. I strive to represent time and space, sight and sound, in a quiet loudness.