London-based artist Rhys Brown has recently garnered attention in the art world for his unique and poetic technique, "Vegan Gyotaku." Inspired by the traditional Japanese art of gyotaku, originally used to record catches, Brown transforms this concept and imbues it with a contemporary vocabulary. He uses stuffed toys, particularly teddy bears, as his rubbing subjects. The process of pressing and rubbing the tactile forms onto canvas or paper not only creates the contours and details of the squashed figures but also captures the emotional traces and temporal trajectory inherent in the objects themselves.
Rhys Brown
Rhys Brown
3, 2023
Ink and oil pastel on paper
40 x 70 cm (15.75 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
3 things at the same time 同時進行, 2024
Acrylic, ink and oil pastel on canvas
110 x 80 cm (43.31 x 31.5 in)
Rhys Brown
A poor man’s Edvard Munch (Night) 窮人的孟克畫作, 2025
Acrylic and oil pastel on Linen
45 x 35 cm (17.72 x 13.78 in)
Rhys Brown
A poor man’s Picasso (Night) 窮人的畢卡索畫作, 2025
Acrylic and Oil pastel on canvas
30 x 30 cm (11.81 x 11.81 in)
Rhys Brown
A poor man’s Van Gogh (Night) 窮人的梵谷畫作, 2025
Spray paint and Oil pastel on Canvas
80 x 70 cm (31.5 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
A poor man’s Vermeer (Night) 窮人的維梅爾畫作, 2025
Spray paint and oil pastel on canvas
50 x 50 cm (19.69 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Anthropometrie 人體測量學, 2023
Ink and oil pastel on canvas
65 x 205 cm (25.59 x 80.71 in)
Rhys Brown
Anti Hero 反英雄, 2023
Ink, acrylic and oil pastel on canvas
150 x 120 cm (59.06 x 47.24 in)
Rhys Brown
Awfully British 英國到不行, 2025
Ink, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Canvas
50 x 50 cm (19.69 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Banananananana 香蕉蕉蕉蕉, 2023
Mixed on canvas
110 x 80 cm (43.31 x 31.5 in)
Rhys Brown
Blue British bear facts 英國藍熊的事實, 2023
Mixed on canvas
180 x 120 cm (70.87 x 47.24 in)
Rhys Brown
Cacti 仙人掌熊, 2026
Ink, oil pastel and acrylic on Lambeth Cartridge 370gsm
70 x 50 cm (27.56 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Changes 改變, 2024
Ink and oil pastel on primed canvas
80 x 70 cm (31.5 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
Chester 切斯特, 2023
Ink, oil pastel, gesso gel, collage on canvas
60 x 60 cm (23.62 x 23.62 in)
Rhys Brown
Doubt is a liar (Self portrait in Camden studio) 懷疑是騙子 （在卡姆登工作室的自畫像）, 2024
Ink, acrylic and oil pastel on primed linen
150 x 170 cm (59.06 x 66.93 in)
Rhys Brown
Farmer 農民, 2024
Ink, spray paint, acrylic and oil pastel on primed canvas
80 x 70 cm (31.5 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
Fuck Ur War 去你的戰爭, 2025
Ink, Acrylic and Oil pastel on Canvas
30 x 30 x 2.4 cm (11.81 x 11.81 x 0.94 in)
Rhys Brown
He Saves the Day 超人熊, 2026
Ink and oil pastel on Lambeth Cartridge 370gsm
70 x 50 cm (27.56 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
I wish I was here 我希望在場, 2024
Acrylic, ink and oil pastel on canvas
110 x 80 cm (43.31 x 31.5 in)
Rhys Brown
Inkbot Spring in Taipei 墨跡在台北, 2021
Acrylic and crayon on plywood
30.5 x 40 cm (12.01 x 15.75 in)
Rhys Brown
Inner Thoughts 心裡的聲音, 2023
Ink, acrylic and oil pastel on watercolour paper
124 x 108 cm (48.82 x 42.52 in)
Rhys Brown
Little Blue 小藍熊, 2026
Ink and oil pastel on Lambeth Cartridge 370gsm
70 x 50 cm (27.56 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Little Pink 小粉熊, 2026
Ink and oil pastel on Lambeth Cartridge 370gsm
70 x 50 cm (27.56 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Loads of skittles 一堆彩虹糖, 2023
Mixed on canvas
150 x 120 cm (59.06 x 47.24 in)
Rhys Brown
Loki Elmo 低調的艾爾莫, 2023
Spray paint and oil pastel on lambeth cartridge paper 320 gsm
78 x 70 cm (30.71 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
Loki Peanuts 低調的花生, 2023
Spray paint and oil pastel on lambeth cartridge paper 320 gsm
100 x 70 cm (39.37 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
Lucky Bear 幸運熊, 2026
Ink, oil pastel and acrylic on Lambeth Cartridge 370gsm
70 x 50 cm (27.56 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Make a world together 讓世界凝聚在一起, 2022
Ink and oil pastel on fabriano cotton rag 270 gsm
70 x 50 cm (27.56 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Mick jagger 米克·賈格爾, 2023
Mixed on canvas
70 x 60 cm (27.56 x 23.62 in)
Rhys Brown
Monkey Shakespare 莎士比亞猴, 2024
Acrylic, ink and oil pastel on canvas
110 x 80 cm (43.31 x 31.5 in)
Rhys Brown
Neighbor 1 鄰居1, 2023
Ink, acrylic, spray paint and oil pastel collage on etching paper
42 x 42 cm (16.54 x 16.54 in)
Rhys Brown
Neighbor 2 鄰居2, 2023
Ink, acrylic, spray paint and oil pastel collage on etching paper
42 x 42 cm (16.54 x 16.54 in)
Rhys Brown
Nothing hurts anymore 沒有痛苦了, 2023
Mixed on canvas
150 x 120 cm (59.06 x 47.24 in)
Rhys Brown
PAIN.t 畫, 2024
Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas
20 x 20 cm (7.87 x 7.87 in)
Rhys Brown
Plan B is trying to find a way to make plan A work 所謂B計畫，就是撐住A計畫, 2025
Found Vase, Acrylic, watercolour, Toy snake, clay, Material and spray paint.
40 x 15 cm (15.75 x 5.91 in)
Rhys Brown
Please don’t call me 請別打給我, 2024
Ink and oil pastel on primed linen
70 x 60 cm (27.56 x 23.62 in)
Rhys Brown
Poem 詩, 2024
Ink, acrylic and oil pastel on primed canvas
Rhys Brown
Pollocks Rabbit 波洛克兔, 2023
Mixed on canvas
102 x 76 cm (40.16 x 29.92 in)
Rhys Brown
Post pre war art 戰前戰後的藝術, 2024
Acrylic, ink, newspaper, charcoal and oil pastel on canvas
170 x 150 cm (66.93 x 59.06 in)
Rhys Brown
Shark Anatomy 鯊魚解剖學, 2022
Painting, acrylic and marker on canvas
90 x 130 cm (35.43 x 51.18 in)
Rhys Brown
Sharkz 鯊魚, 2022
Painting, acrylic and marker on paper
60 x 60 cm (23.62 x 23.62 in)
Rhys Brown
Skittles 吃喝玩樂, 2023
Mixed on canvas
70 x 60 cm (27.56 x 23.62 in)
Rhys Brown
Sloths and Pollen 樹懶和花粉, 2022
Ink and oil pastel on Fabriano Cotton Rag 270 gsm
70 x 50 cm (27.56 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Something Strange (Like rubber ducks in puddle water) 奇怪的事情（就像水坑裡的橡皮鴨）, 2024
Ink, acrylic and oil pastel on primed canvas
130 x 120 cm (51.18 x 47.24 in)
Rhys Brown
Sometimes I like to paint naked 有時我喜歡裸體畫畫, 2023
Mixed on canvas
150 x 120 cm (59.06 x 47.24 in)
Rhys Brown
Soup’d 噴滿湯汁, 2024
Acrylic and oil pastel on primed canvas
60 x 50 cm (23.62 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Studio shirt 工作室T恤, 2024
75 x 90 cm (29.53 x 35.43 in)
Rhys Brown
The cool kids are always late 酷孩子總是遲到, 2023
Mixed on canvas
100 x 100 cm (39.37 x 39.37 in)
Rhys Brown
The copy cat 抄襲者, 2023
Ink, acrylic, watercolour crayon and oil pastel on 400 gsm watercolour paper
150 x 120 cm (59.06 x 47.24 in)
Rhys Brown
The Pro-tester 抗議者, 2024
Ink, oil pastel, acrylic and newspaper on primed linen
70 x 70 cm (27.56 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
The start of something new 新事物的開始, 2023
Ink, graphite, acrylic and oil pastel on primed linen
200 x 180 cm (78.74 x 70.87 in)
Rhys Brown
Thursday 禮拜四, 2022
Ink and oil pastel on canvas
60 x 50 cm (23.62 x 19.69 in)
Rhys Brown
Tipsy in Seoul 醉在首爾, 2023
Mixed on canvas
70 x 60 cm (27.56 x 23.62 in)
Rhys Brown
Tomorrow is another day 睡一覺又是新的一天, 2025
Ink, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on canvas
60 x 60 cm (23.62 x 23.62 in)
Rhys Brown
Try to forget you 嘗試忘記你, 2023
Ink and oil pastel on canvas
100 x 70 cm (39.37 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
Tube 隧道, 2023
Ink, oil pastel and acrylic paint on 400gsm watercolour paper
102 x 90 cm (40.16 x 35.43 in)
Rhys Brown
Vauxhall (Gentrification) 沃克斯豪爾（鄉紳化）, 2024
Ink, oil pastel, acrylic and canvas collage on primed linen
70 x 70 cm (27.56 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
Vincent Van Brown 文森凡布朗, 2024
Oil pastel on grey recycled card
42 x 39 cm (16.54 x 15.35 in)
Rhys Brown
What was I made for 熊熊的主要成分, 2025
Ink, acrylic, oil pastel, newsprint and Canvas on Collage on Canvas
80 x 70 cm (31.5 x 27.56 in)
Rhys Brown
Your smile warms the coldest winters day 你的笑容溫暖了最寒冷的冬日, 2022
Painting, acrylic and marker on canvas
165 x 170 cm (64.96 x 66.93 in)
About the artist
Rhys Brown
UK
b. 1993
