Thomas Graven was born in Fréjus in 1995 to Dutch parents and spent his formative years in the South of France. His upbringing included regular visits to museums and art galleries in both France and the Netherlands, fostering an early appreciation for art. Graven pursued his education in London and the Netherlands, where he focused on computational arts.
A 2007 visit to an Amsterdam gallery introduced Graven to the works of Murakami, Nara, and Rokkaku, sparking an interest in Kawaii Art and Asian culture that would increasingly influence his work. By 2020, Graven’s painting practice intensified, marking the beginning of his artistic career. During this time, he communicated daily with his long-distance girlfriend via WeChat, a Chinese messaging app. The app’s cute animated stickers, used to convey emotion, captivated Graven and became a source of inspiration.
Graven’s acrylic paintings on canvas feature frogs engaged in basic human activities. These happy, carefree amphibians represent an exploration of the artist’s childhood and a celebration of his inner child.
With a background as an art consultant, Graven possesses a unique blend of artistic and technological skills. His work imbues his amphibious subjects with human-like qualities, suggesting that they may be reflections of the artist himself. Graven is an emerging artist with a promising future.

Education

2018 Master of Computational Arts, Goldmisths University, London UK

2017 Bachelor of Computer Science, University of Utrecht, Utrecht NL

 

Close

FREE EXCLUSIVE E-INVITES AND NEWSLETTERS

Sign Up!