CARNE GRIFFITHS
Carne Griffiths is a contemporary British artist whose delicate yet dynamic drawings blur the lines between control and chaos, imagination and memory, literal and abstract. Working primarily with calligraphy inks, graphite, and organic liquids like tea, brandy, and alcohol, Griffiths transforms the ordinary into the otherworldly. His work captures fleeting moments of awe, translating human emotion and dreamlike visuals into a visual language that drips, spills, and dances across the page.
At the heart of Griffiths' practice is a fascination with the drawn line. Every stroke, spill, and mark in his work becomes part of a greater journey, one where floral, geometric, and figurative forms unfold like memories in motion. Often described as meditative and ethereal, his pieces evoke a sense of quiet introspection and uninhibited escape, inviting the viewer to step into a suspended world where reality becomes fluid and boundaries dissolve.
Originally from Liverpool, Griffiths studied at the Kent Institute of Art and Design in Maidstone, graduating in 1995. After completing a one-year fellowship, he moved to London, where he spent over a decade honing his design sensibility in the world of gold wire embroidery. As creative director at the oldest firm of its kind in the world, Griffiths created ornate, handcrafted designs for the military, fashion, film, and theatre industries. His embroidery featured in major productions such as Valkyrie, The Last King of Scotland, and The Phantom of the Opera, where his now-iconic “Red Death Coat” was a highlight. His intricate floral designs were also commissioned by luxury brand Asprey and showcased on the cover of the Royal Variety Performance programme in 2008.
In 2010, Griffiths left the world of embroidery behind to open his own studio, devoting himself fully to his artistic practice. Since then, his career has flourished across the globe. His work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy, the London Art Fair, the Affordable Art Fair, and the London Original Print Fair, with solo exhibitions in Hong Kong, Milan, Brighton, and a forthcoming show in Hamburg.
Beyond galleries, Griffiths has made waves in the editorial and commercial worlds. His artwork has graced covers for the New York Observer, English Heritage Magazine, and he collaborated with legendary photographer Rankin for a six-page spread in Hunger Magazine. His commissions include major projects for Microsoft, Derwent, Peroni, Lakes Distillery, and Ibis Hotels. Blending his fine art approach with brand storytelling in visually compelling ways.
What makes Carne’s work so captivating is its ability to balance precision and spontaneity, tradition and innovation. His use of unconventional materials and fluid mark-making is a quiet rebellion against rigidity, against repetition, against the ordinary. Every piece is a portal, subtle, surreal, and rich with symbolic possibility.
Through his ever-evolving practice, Carne Griffiths continues to offer a window into the subconscious, a place of wonder, fragility, and fluidity, reminding us that beauty often lives in the spaces we least expect.
Creative Debuts showcased and commissioned Carne many times. Including here with his own solo show at adidas
