Grimoire: a book of magic

First published June 2019, Grimoire is a selection of black and white illustrations made in graphite or pen & ink produced between 2017-2019. The loose collection of images are inspired by traditional Medieval bestiaries and grimoires and follow my journey as an artist, uncovering aspects of my identity and understanding of the world through an alternate reality inspired by concepts of angels, demons, spirits, dreams, and the afterlife.

The book is split into three parts. The “Arcana” is an autobiographical, sequential narrative following a nameless character who interacts with a voice named the God of Death. The nameless character submits to their purpose, to receive the Sword of Knowledge. The scene shows foliage sprouting from the wound where the sword has pierced.

The following sections Grimoire and Bestiary are collections of illustrations. The work includes fantastical beasts and what appear to be diagrams and collections of objects. Much of the text is written in an unknown language based on “automatic drawing” that takes the form of sigils and monograms.

Grimoire became a collection of work I could draw from for future explorations. Many sketches in the book, including the sigils, became tattoo flash and the creatures and concept of a garden world became the highlight of the Tigerbob universe.

The book was published as a supplementary digital art collection for Tigerbob in 2022.