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Biography
Ripley (mothstelid) is a Canadian artist currently based in Toronto, Ontario. He specializes in illustration, painting, and digital art. His work often reflects his love of animals, nature, and character design. Ripley is currently attending Humber Polytechnic and is in his final year of their Visual and Digital Arts program. He also has an education background in printmaking and illustration. Ripley has previously done volunteer work for the City of Toronto during Nuit Blanche. He has worked as a freelance graphic artist since 2021. He is also participating in the Humber VADA Club’s Impulse exhibition. Ripley plans to continue experimenting with new techniques in his digital artworks, as well as continuing the development of his character designs for use in fiction. Ripley will be participating in a collaborative exhibition, Lingua Franca, at Humber Galleries this April.

Statement
I create my works for three main purposes: to better understand the world around me, to communicate what I cannot through words, and to partake in a craft that brings me joy. Through my work, I hope to better my skills, share my ideas with others through artwork, and to continue enjoying creation. I achieve these goals by creating works that draw from various inspirational fictional themes and subject matter I am most interested in. These include original characters and stories, animals and animal symbolism, and the social issues that I feel strongly about.

Generally, I choose my mediums and materials based on what I would like the piece to achieve and convey. I use digital art programs to create illustrated and experimental artwork, as it allows me to explore new techniques, colours, and textures. I use acrylic paint for larger pieces to impart a message to the viewer with, as a physical piece allows for deeper investigation.

In my current work, I am enjoying experimenting and exploring more stylized artworks that rely less on references. By creating my work, I hope to more accurately translate the concepts I wish to portray in my art.

mothstelid[at]gmail.com | @mothstelid on Instagram, Bluesky