Web of Horror

When CODA invited me to take part in their officially licensed Universal Monsters exhibition, I jumped at it. Those old films like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy shaped my early love of the strange and cinematic, so getting the chance to contribute to something that celebrates that legacy was wonderful.

The exhibition is a collaboration between Sideshow and CODA, bringing together new deluxe statues, exclusive posters, and artwork from artists around the world. It opens October 24 with two gallery shows running at the same time in Los Angeles and Austin. Fans in LA can visit Celebrity Authentics at Universal City Walk until November 2, while those in Austin can head to Canopy Gallery for a curated collection of alternative movie posters, limited edition screenprints and new original works, including my piece, titled Web Of Horror.

Web Of Horror is a 3D papercut painting inspired by Bela Lugosi’s Dracula. It’s made up of five layers of very thick watercolour paper, each one cut by hand to build depth and light until the image feels alive. Dracula sits at the top of the piece, surrounded by spiderwebs that eat through the layers of the work.

I’ve missed the tactile process of building something by hand, turning a flat image into an object that changes with the light. Making Web of Horror reminded me why I love this kind of work, and I plan to keep pushing further in this layered direction.

Being part of this project feels special. It connects my past influences with where I want to go next. Web of Horror is both a tribute and a return to the layered papercut painting style that I've been dying to return to. I can’t wait to see it among the other monsters when the show opens on Thursday.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!