I stopped by Gallery Hijinks in San Francisco last weekend for the opening of Matthew Craven's solo show 'FRGMNT'. Craven's gorgeous and cohesive series of mixed media and illustration work in his new '#2 pencil' palette was a beautiful shift from his previous primary color work that i had seen in New York. 'This exhibition aims to form connections between modern life and the lives of those who came before us...

Matthew Craven is an illustrator, previously known as a freelance circus entertainer. Inspired by his collections of poorly reproduced toys and printed ephemera, his work creates a mystery in the viewers eyes that can only be explained as an eerie humor.

Matthew Craven is an illustrator, previously known as a freelance circus entertainer. Inspired by his collections of poorly reproduced toys and printed ephemera, his work creates a mystery in the viewers eyes that can only be explained as an eerie humor.

Matthew Craven is an illustrator based in New York and utilizes “traditionally formal decisions-such as the use of color, pattern, and appropriation-into opportunities to create new characters, develop sub-plots, and convey symbolic meaning”.