Art BRUT Exhibition at Swindon Art Museum
Celebrating Bold, Raw, Untrained Talent in Swindon and the South-West.
Art B.R.U.T celebrates raw, unfiltered creativity by self-taught artists from Swindon and Wiltshire, featuring bold, rule-breaking works across painting, sculpture, digital art and more, with immersive audio.
‘Art B.R.U.T’ is all about showcasing the raw, unfiltered creativity of self-taught artists from Swindon and surrounding areas. Inspired by Jean Dubuffet’s idea of ‘Art Brut’ (Raw Art), this exhibition is packed with bold, expressive pieces that break away from the usual rules of art. There’s no formal training here, just pure, unrestrained creativity.
Expect a mix of painting, sculpture and digital art with audio descriptions that immerse you into the creative process. This isn’t just an exhibition—it’s an invitation to challenge what you think art is and reconnect with that spark of creativity we all have inside.
Art B.R.U.T is a celebration of artistic freedom, showcasing a diverse range of voices and styles while adding something fresh and exciting to Swindon’s cultural scene.
Part of Swindon’s Arts Fringe Festival 2025: 16th - 29th June (Museum & Art Swindon is closed on Sunday 29th).
No need to book, just turn up to the exhibition and enjoy. Works are be available for sale.
Please support these wonderful artists by buying their work, it’s the biggest compliment you can give. You can reserve any piece by calling +44 01793466556 or emailing HThielen@swindon.gov.uk | Hurry, they will go fast : they are totally underpriced in my opinion.
Here are the artists…
Bob Osborne
https://www.instagram.com/rebelnottaken
Bob Osborne is a mixed-media artist and poet whose work blends surrealism, popular culture, and found objects with irreverent humour and subversive energy. Descended from outsiders and raised in 1960s Notting Hill, he studied creative writing at UEA and channels a lifelong spirit of rebellion into his raw, unconventional practice.
Art Critic Peter Davies talks about Bob Osborne work in Swindon Art Brut Show (And a few other comments).
Komic
https://www.instagram.com/jawacomic
Komic is a dynamic graffiti artist known for bold colour, expressive typography, and chunky outlines. Influenced by 80s graffiti scenes in New York and the UK, his spray-painted works feature abstract backgrounds that heighten visual impact. His latest collection fuses hardcore lettering with fresh, experimental techniques in street art.
Cathy Taylor
Cathy Taylor began acrylic painting four years ago and immediately found her “happy.” After living with illness for nearly three decades, art became a powerful outlet for joy and freedom. Now a passionate painter, she encourages everyone to give it a go and discover the uplifting power of creativity.
Chunkos (Troy & Craig)
https://www.instagram.com/chunkosprintshack
Chunkos Print Shack is a creative studio run by two brothers with 20+ years' experience in design, packaging, and illustration. Specialising in custom prints, action figure packaging, and collectables, we serve artists, bands, and makers—especially in punk, goth, and alternative scenes—with bold, bespoke solutions that bring ideas to life.
Dan Preston
https://www.instagram.com/artyfartydan
Dan Preston is an outsider artist working in 4D mixed media, exploring the tension between art and science through experimental forms. His practice defies categorisation, blending materials, concepts, and dimensions in weird and wonderful ways. Each piece challenges perception, inviting viewers into an ever-shifting interstitial space of discovery.
Darcie Henton
https://www.instagram.com/darciesdooodles
Darcie is a self-taught artist, raised in Kettering and now based in Swindon. Working across watercolour, acrylic, felt, and digital formats, her art is driven by a love of colour, joy, and character. She brings unexpected warmth to creatures often dismissed or misunderstood, from rats and pigeons to frogs and toads, inviting viewers to see them in a new light. Inspired by everyday encounters and a fondness for the overlooked, Darcie’s work blends whimsy with subtle commentary. Led by impulse and curiosity, she’s always working on something – animal-related or not.
Davinia Marshall
https://www.instagram.com/dmarshall_art
Davinia Marshall is a Wiltshire-based artist working in watercolour and graphite. Her detailed portraits, wildlife, and still life studies reflect a deep appreciation for realism and quiet observation. Whether capturing the texture of feathers or the softness of skin, her work balances technical precision with a calm, contemplative presence.
Gem Vero
https://www.instagram.com/gemverotattoo
Gem Vero is a multimedia artist celebrated for her vibrant colour work, intricate dot work, and expressive sketch style. Drawing inspiration from nature, symbolism, and comic imagery, she thrives on creative exploration. Passionate about collaboration, Gem offers a warm, professional experience—best reached in person at the studio for consultations.
Harrie Dearing
https://www.instagram.com/harriedearingart
Harrie Dearing is a UK-based contemporary artist specialising in abstract expressionism. Her work delves into themes of identity, psychology, and personal catharsis, aiming to offer solace through shared vulnerability. Beyond painting, she engages in immersive installations, street art, and community projects, including collaborations with Wild in Art and Neon Dance.
Jiri Vrana
https://www.instagram.com/u.n.c.r.n
Jiri Vrana is a painter with a passion for graffiti and cars, blending street art energy with bold, expressive brushwork. His work often features sleek vehicles and urban iconography, driven by a love of motion and design. “I paint expensive cars because I can’t own them,” he jokes.
Josh Owen
Josh Owen is a model maker with a background in engineering. He combines technical precision with creative expression. His work reflects a passion for structure, form, and hands-on making, bridging the gap between functionality and artistic exploration.
Kana Tynra
https://www.instagram.com/kanaloverose
Kana Tyrna is a Japan-born artist working primarily with water-based paints and Sumi ink. Deeply inspired by flowers and nature, her delicate, expressive brushwork reflects a lifelong connection to art. Each painting is a quiet exploration—an invitation to share in the beauty she finds in the world around her.
Laura Carter
https://www.instagram.com/laurasaurusrawr
Laura Carter is an artist who thrives on working with natural materials and upcycling wherever possible. Drawing inspiration from the world of children’s crafts and play art, they embrace the joy of experimentation and discovery in their creative process. Laura's work explores the beauty found in simple, everyday materials, transforming them into something new and meaningful.
Laura Prochilo
https://www.instagram.com/lauraprochilomakesart
Laura Prochilo is a multidisciplinary visual artist working across art, film, and photography. Their work spans continents, with exhibitions and collaborations in Italy, Iceland, China, Australia, the UK, and the USA. Laura’s practice explores place, identity, and visual storytelling through a playful, globally connected lens.
Lynette Thomas
https://www.instagram.com/artkore71
Lynette Thomas is a mosaic artist with a magpie’s eye for treasure. She transforms found objects—china, jewellery, ornaments, and natural materials—into vibrant recycled creations. Based at Artsite in Swindon’s old post office building, her studio in the former vault is a true Aladdin’s cave of colour, texture, and charm.
Paul Eardley
https://www.instagram.com/paul_eardley
Paul Eardley, with a background in engineering, creates striking hanging and LED sculptures using wood, metal, and transformed found objects. His work fuses technical precision with artistic experimentation, repurposing materials into bold, illuminated forms that blur the line between function and expression. Each piece invites curiosity and interaction.
Place & Chips
https://www.instagram.com/placeandchips
Place & Chips work primarily in response to ‘place’ and the ways in which we invest meaning in our environments.
Using psychogeographical practices such as the ‘dérive’ and ‘détournement’ as methodologies, the work recycles site-specific materials, histories and mythologies to facilitate the artistic exploration of our homes.
Rae Melody
https://www.instagram.com/raemelodyart
Rae Melody is a Chippenham-based artist whose work explores emotion, memory, and personal narrative through bold colour and layered textures. Working across mixed media, she creates expressive pieces that balance vulnerability with strength. Her art invites viewers into introspective spaces, offering glimpses of the inner world through abstract, intuitive forms.
Rory Walker
https://www.instagram.com/rorywalkerart
Rory Walker is a Bristol-based artist known for his fluid linework and boundless imagination. Inspired by fantasy, folklore, and adventure, he conjures vivid worlds filled with creatures, crumbling towers, and dramatic landscapes. His clients include Aardman, Disney, the BBC, and major publishers, animation studios, and design agencies worldwide.
Roy Brewster
https://www.instagram.com/artformeat50
Roy Brewster creates bold, stylised art that blends noir attitude with graphic intensity. His work often features striking contrasts and dramatic characters set against vivid backdrops. Always open to feedback and collaboration, Roy approaches his art with curiosity and passion, inviting viewers into a world both playful and provocative.
Sharon Russell
https://www.instagram.com/darghzhaagen
Sharon Russell is a mixed-media artist from Swindon whose vibrant, abstract works burst with energy, colour, and playful symbolism. Layering shapes, patterns, and bold hues, she creates joyful visual tapestries that invite exploration. Her spontaneous, intuitive style reflects a love of creative freedom and expressive experimentation.
Si Griffiths
https://www.instagram.com/simongriffithsart
Si Griffiths is a self-taught artist whose vivid, satirical works explore the tension between light and dark. Influenced by surrealism, lowbrow and pop art, his paintings often feature a recurring clown figure—his alter ego—wandering through questions of fate, grief, and absurdity. Art, for Griffiths, is both a necessity and a catharsis.
SLART
https://instagram.com/slart.me
SLART (Steven Light) is a UK-based outsider artist and figurative expressionist. Influenced by Art Brut, Dubuffet, Shrigley, and Haring, his instinctive, raw style explores resilience, nostalgia, and human struggle. Balancing art with a day job, he exhibits regularly and is preparing for his major solo show, Memento Vivere, in September 2025.
Yasmin Centeno
https://www.instagram.com/skintmillennial
Yasmin Centeno is a Bristol-based photographer drawn to storytelling through fashion, documentary, and behind-the-scenes shoots. Photography began as a way to stay behind the lens and evolved into a passionate pursuit. She now balances commissions with her tech career, focusing on themes of sport, diversity, mental health, and human connection.
Sorry about the glare! Here are some better pics.
A huge thank you to Swindon Arts Fringe, part of the brilliant Artsite collective—go check out the incredible work they’re doing. Big thanks as well to the staff at Swindon Art Museum for their support. And well done to all the artists—showing your work for the first time can be nerve-racking, but what a fantastic first exhibition!
Artsite
Swindon Arts Fringe
Museum and Art Swindon
If you couldn’t make it in person, here’s a little video walkthrough just for you.
If you believe in creativity, courage, and the power of self-expression, hit share now. Someone in your network will fall in love with one of these pieces—and it might just change their life…