Gareth Tristan Evans (aka The Trunk of Funk)

We introduced Gareth's work to the gallery in 2018, and in that time both his 'My Father's Books' and urban 'Geisha' series have inspired many.

The idea for ‘My Father’s Books’ was inspired by Gareth's English teacher father’s extensive literary collection - he wanted to find a way of displaying the collection in a more visual and also space-saving way. The memory of entomology collections at the Natural History Museum where Gareth often visited with his father gave him the idea to present the books in this way. Each book's original cover is photographed and printed onto fine art paper, then crafted into a swallowtail butterfly and finished with varnish. Some may have crushed glass on the wings, or a specimen pin attached or a label detailing the book. The butterflies are then laid onto textured mounts in a variety of shades from ‘Slate’ to ‘Sage’ and are encapsulated between two frames to represent the specimen cases.

Gareth's ‘Geisha’ series presents captivating images of composed of portraiture, decorative pattern, rich colour and texture. Drawing inspiration from childhood comics, music and a classics degree, the blend of vintage, retro and contemporary is often clear to see.  

The creative process is a mix of photography, digital techniques, hand applied finishes as well as traditional pencil and brush work to achieve the finished pieces. Much of his work from ‘My Father’s Books’ to the ‘In Layers’ versions of the Geisha series are presented within a 3D format.

“Each piece of artwork that leaves my studio must reach my O.C.D. quality threshold.  Every time someone digs deep to purchase an artwork I have created, it touches me. I can spend hours applying metal leaf to a piece, but I remind myself that someday, someone, will treasure this in their home and what a privileged position that puts me in”.