Gareth Tristan Evans (aka The Trunk of Funk)
Born in Singapore, brought up in a remote Welsh valley and now living in Macclesfield, Gareth, has developed a unique and recognisable style that has caught the attention of contemporary art collectors in the UK and abroad.
A mixed media artist, his work takes influences from his background of a career in the music industry, a classics degree, his childhood love of sci fi and a fascination with street art. Not conventionally trained in fine art it has been a personal journey of discovery and experimentation which has seen him arrive on the contemporary art scene.
Gareth’s work, although presented as ‘hung art’, also has a sculptural quality due to its multi-dimensional nature. In pursuit of the ‘beautiful unconventional’ he explores and blends traditional artistic techniques with modern technology. An industrial laser cutter is just one of the tools sharing space with paint brushes and racks of acrylic spray cans in his studio situated in an 19 the Century Cotton Mill at the foothills of the Peak District.
Gareth is best known for his hugely popular ‘Urban Geisha’ Series that has been exhibited by galleries from Glasgow to London to New York. A 21st Century urban interpretation of the traditional Geisha the images are a thoughtful, artistic, mix tape. Kimonos in antique Rose print, exotic headdresses adorned by Kingfishers, graffiti tags and 24 Carat Gold Leaf discs. The result is an unlikely, fantastical and deeply mindful combination. The work is a collage of photography, painting and leaf gilding blended with crafted 3D elements of authentic postage stamps, vintage textiles, French seed packets and Japanese paper all interlaced with graffiti tags, symbols and iconography.
