Tony Cribb | Biography
Nothing matches but everything fits.
Cribb's work is constantly bouncing around different ideas, themes, and styles. This variety in his approach is what keeps him happy, with new challenges to conquer. This includes The Adventures of Tin Man, illustrative, poetic, realistic and/or abstract works. Different is good. The common thread holding these all together is storytelling. Each is a snapshot into a world that has a story or message to tell.
Growing up with Jim Henson’s Muppets and Tim Burton’s imagination has played a big part in shaping the stories Cribb tells through his paintbrush. He loves to paint images and characters that invoke a reaction or emotion from the viewer, making the work interactive and bringing it to life. And the beauty of art is that not everyone will connect with each story, with each character - making it even more special for both artist and viewer when it does happen.
Experiencing the Christchurch Earthquake on Feb 22nd 2011 and living in the badly affected eastern suburbs was an intense and emotional time, and for the months that followed art & painting became utterly trivial. This emotional journey culminated with a re-focussing of what Cribb wanted to achieve through his artwork. Hope, humour, love, and sincerity have never been more apparent.
After this the artworks slowly came back to life before they were interrupted by another adventure in 2013 – a brain tumour. “After the operation, 6 weeks in hospital, numerous seizures, a stroke, and years of ongoing recovery – I am incredibly thankful to still be breathing in, and out. I am lucky to have been given a second chance. Many others have not. In the years since I have been able to make memories with my family & friends, something I am incredibly fortunate to be able to do. Memories are everything. They stir emotion, they make you smile.”
Cribb lives in Christchurch with his wife, two boys, a dog, a cat, and numerous bumblebees that keep flying in through the door. His mantra is to make a difference, by making the world a better place. Painting since 2001, his works are held in private collections both locally and internationally. Upon achieving world domination, he wants to abolish naughty people and sunburn.