Drew is the embodiment of the noun and adjective ‘creative’. He is a multidisciplinary practitioner whose practice spans a plethora of what is considered art. Yet, what is most striking and charming about him is his humanity, humbleness and his aura which is incredibly compelling; a magnetic radiation of joy. You can’t help but feel both grounded and inspired in his presence. The few times I have had the pleasure of sharing the same sphere as Drew, I have left with a memory etched firmly in my mind by a wise uttering that has awakened all synapses in my brain. Such feelings can be evoked when looking at his work, albeit to a lesser degree than a physical interaction. From his Inkober daily sketching to his chipboard oil odes to his daughter and the cosmic commentaries on the cosmos, there is so much to be experienced.
Looking at his body of work, one might find it difficult to define his style. I see love, life and light expressed and recreated in many forms; a journey that draws on the lived experience of all that is tangible and also that which is imagined and wondered; a cherished moment which brings enlightenment, and that which replenishes the soul.
My first introduction to Drew was on a summer’s afternoon in Brixton, South London, at a block party, thrown to commemorate the anniversary of one of Spike Lee’s movies. We were drawing with chalk on the floor and got chatting. Before I knew it, we were constructing mini sculptures out of paper- nothing elaborate, some basic origami, well from me anyway, Drew’s an origami master, another one of his many creative talents. Warmed by the experience, I started to follow him on instagram and was introduced to his work. I very soon became captivated by his 2017 Inktober collection, which was added to daily.
I loved the mild manner in which he portrayed the male subjects of his pieces, and how he was able to make them appear so open, vulnerable, raw and exposed. Some would say words that describe the antithesis of masculinity, yet these men he constructed with a black fine liner expressed a myriad of moments made only in a man’s mind. Some of them made me chuckle, many of them evoked deep wonderings, that sent questions buzzing through my mind like red-tailed bubbles bees dancing between the many slim petals busting out from the bracts of a bright fuchsia exploding knapweed flower.
these men he constructed with a black fine liner expressed a myriad of moments made only in a man’s mind.
This collection had me hooked. I continued to consume his work desperate to re-energize the resplendence my brain received on the previous viewing of a canvas. Each time I was not disappointed. With each journey around the sun, I was exposed to even more of Drew’s outpouring of creativity. Which is why it seemed right to probe him more on what it is that produces this almost abundance of creative juice? What helps to channel the flow and ensure a consumable construction? Is there something that causes an ebb in the flow and how is this overcome? And finally, where does he envision his journey to take him? These questions I will pose to him on Creative Speak!
To find out more about Drew Sinclair, check out his Creative Bio.
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