Geometry

Within any optical illusion lies a bit of magic. There is something very playful but also challenging in controlling what someone sees and how their brain interprets impossible shapes. Much like negative space, patterns provide the opportunity for some very powerful visual tricks. 

The idea in most of my pattern-based work is to use figurative elements to interfere with the repetition. Whether using a figure as the hero of the composition or as a little touch, there is always a story to my patterns – a hidden narrative that guides the viewer and helps them decode the image and its meaning. Keeping a level of visual surprise and dizziness is what makes it fun and like any other illustration work, it is about composition, scale and harmony. For that reason, I tend to limit my palette even more in pattern-based illustration.