pgp307: Paul Davey…Mattahan Fantasies

Afrosurreality?

I don’t know the word to describe the unique genre that Paul Davey has created so I had to invent one. His imaginings juxtapose afrocentric charters in dreamlike and fantasy settings and in doing so, he breaks the conventions of what is traditionally acceptable for peoples of colour.

Paul Davey is that rare digital artist/illustrator with a distinctive style that is easily recognized as his own. He is sometimes known as Mattahan, a name based on the patois pronunciation of Matterhorn which is a popular cigarette in Manchester, Jamaica where Paul was born and raised.

According to research, he starts without a plan and develops, spontaneously these lush, detailed scenes that appeal to the senses in a ways that even amaze him at times. Aside from his sketches, most of his work is digital. He does create some tradition paintings using acrylics but Paul says, “I’m spoiled by Painter. I no longer have the patience to work with traditional media on a regular basis.”

Paul draws inspiration from his experiences. The people in his works are usually based on people he knows with a bit of imaginative license thrown in. He says he draws a lot of women because they are simply more fun to draw and as subjects they are more versatile.

When it comes to influences in and out of the visual world he says he’s into Hip Hop and, to a lesser extent, politics and he’s not afraid to mix the two. And he says that James Jean comes to mind first when he thinks of his favorite artist/illustrator.

Paul Davey also knows that he could attract bigger clients if his images featured more Caucasians but he prefers to create images that he relates to. Typically, his works have revolved around the people in his life, their feelings as well how they make him feeling about things. And he is only satisfied when gets a visceral reaction from the works when he looks at them.

While he does have a deviantART gallery of his works, he doesn’t have a website yet. And while it is one of his projects, its not at the top of his list. He’s also working on a graphic novel. And he creates these adorable [yes I said adorable! there’s no other word to describe it] desktop icons that may have started has simple bland images but he takes them to a whole other level. They are rich and filled with humor.

Maybe that is the nature of what Paul does; drawing from his experiences, pushing them with his imagination to take the viewer on an uncommon ride that feels vaguely familiar. He may not typically include the characters of Eurocentric descent and maybe he doesn’t need to. Maybe the stories his images tell are as universal as they are unique. And maybe everyone is drawn to his images just the same.

What do you think?

Paul Davey is an illustrator from Manchester, Jamaica, and works under the alias Mattahan. He paints beautiful images of black people, and every painting has its own story. The paintings are based on his own life and the things he relates to. The most important thing, according to Paul, is that the painting needs to provoke a reaction from him in order to be satisfied with it. He not only an illustrator, he also does comic art and he makes icons.

The Jamaican native spends time in Miami and New York. Davey is interested in doing graphic novels. He has started and stopped several of them and is currently working on one now. He hopes to have his works featured in galleries someday.

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