Stampede
Acrylic on canvas, 2026
Commissioned for the master bedroom, the importance of connecting the right dots weighed in on me. Close to completion I picked up a book I know and love, the words and images served as a reminder of why I am on this journey.
When I paint I feel like I am in the presence of magic. Every session has a different energy and it is very difficult to recreate the same moment twice. I am getting better at feeling when a work is done and rather than trying to create another moment, simply highlight what was so magical about the moment in the first place.
Arrival of the birds
Mixed media acrylic on canvas
3000 x 1200 mm
Late last year I met the commissioner of this work by chance at a store I worked at, they noticed my handwriting which quickly led to a conversation about art and before I knew it, a commission was at my hands.
And not just any commission, but a grand centrepiece in a beautiful home. Secretly, I had been begging the universe for an opportunity to paint and I was heard loud and clear. After a brief consultation we decided to fill the wall with a powerful yet subtle body. Something that you could gaze upon for hours but also has the strength fall back into the shadows and colour the interior.
I pressed hard mentally, physically and spiritually during the process asking tough questions that I didn’t have answers to. The whole point of the artwork ends up being ‘the answer’ which ultimately is a large part of my practice, journeying into the unknown (and sometimes known) in search of a greater meaning.
So I thank this kind family for the opportunity to land these swans safely the left Eketahuna late 2024, arriving in Naarm and settling down fine, all in all in a search themselves of a greater meaning.
📷 @tfishstickz
Last month, I lapped 30 years around the Sun. It is a memorable moment and I spent the better half of 29 reflecting on my life and career as an artist. This year instead of receiving, I want to give away a small painting of gratitude and will be running entries in the comments. It is made with oils mixed with natural rock pigment from the Gariwerd National Park and small acrylic detail.
Share this with someone you think might like an extra Christmas present! To enter, tag a friend in the comments. Winner will be drawn Friday 12th December Evening.
I thank you all, Max
Pleasure in Aussie. Removing power from the equation, balance will always trump strength.
Your mind will be the final piece of judgement before achieving your goal. A beautiful seam in Venus Baths.
To define abstraction as something that deals with ideas rather than events meets me only halfway in how I view my work, as events shape my ideas with as much ferocity as the other.
The act of watching a flower grow influences my thoughts. Food, friends, family, it all molds this transfer of paint to canvas.
Deeply, nature contributes in a constant manner, society, it is all in there in a mergence of experience. The brush tag along in this journey over time until the work decides it is ready.
November 2024 I spent a week-long residency in the great Eketahuna working alongside @crownlynn.kiwi . It was a transformative time for both Mathew and myself as we put our heads down and created what we know now as the CrownLynn.Kiwi Altered Swan Series 1 🦢
Crownlynn’s history dates back pre world war 2 before expanding into domestic pottery production. Famous for their house ware and of course - the CrownLynn swan, CrownLynn.Kiwi aims to break the mould of the previous generation and move forward into the modern age of ceramic we live in today, combining art and sculpture.
I was lucky enough to take part in this reincarnation of CrownLynn.Kiwi but also what turned out to be myself as I moved away from Aotearoa. The Art piece ‘Swan Song’ is a series of 55 hand painted, numbered and signed Swans challenging the previous narrative of the brand’s identity and mine along with it.
Not a moment was to spare over the week as we had the kilns on blast full time, I am grateful for the experience and now it is time to share these with the world for buyers and collectors. @crownlynn.kiwi have these available to purchase off their website as a limited edition run. Here are some of my photos from the experience. If you are interested In purchasing a piece from the collection please visit for more information.
Thank you all,
Max
We are proud to unveil a new chapter in the Crownlynn.kiwi story. The Max Brown Altered Swans challenge traditional notions of what Crown Lynn is—bringing contemporary abstraction into dialogue with one of New Zealand’s most revered ceramic forms.
Painstakingly developed over seven days of intensive experimentation in Eketāhuna, this collection of 71 swans explores innovative glazing techniques, sculptural interventions, and unexpected textures—an homage to the past, and a provocation for the future.
The Collection:
🦢 15 sets of three
🦢 10 individual pieces
🦢 16 ‘ugly ducklings’ – raw, experimental, and deeply expressive
📍 Available while stocks last at 35 Main Street, Eketāhuna, and online at www.crownlynn.kiwi
Dream Boulder from last year, a Toby Benham classic. One that kept me up for more nights than I can count. It marked a milestone in my career not only as a climber but as an artist too. Movement is a form of art, the connection to the subtleties of nature are a beautiful thing. As risk becomes a factor getting higher from the ground, managing fear and staying in control of your body, control of the movement is all your mind has space for. It’s something I look back on fondly, all the training for a moment in time and then boom, done, onto the next.
Abstraction to me has become a way of seeing, a way of looking at something to view past the surface and connect to the deeper layers. Everyone has a different ‘viewing port’ that shapes the way we interpret at a situation, may that be an object, a picture or a moment in time.
It is a lens that casts a filter on life through years of development and mine leans towards a communication of thoughts and feelings through both traditional paint and digital media, bouncing between the technologies to dive deeper. The initial thoughts and movements are very primal, like a dance. Very in the moment and then pondered on for weeks to come, using new experiences to continue to shape the works.
Developmental Practice, Series 1
Painting to me has always been this form of expression where I had freedom to be myself and create something that didn’t necessarily have to be anything in particular, it just had to be a release.
Through this process I was able to find things inside worth exploring deeper and develop narratives that would become cornerstones in my practice. The swan song, in collaboration with @crownlynn.kiwi became a story of a reincarnation or a ‘rebranding’ of oneself both in my own world and that of Crownlynn ceramics moving into the modern era. The end of one and the start of another.
If you are interested in learning more about the release of this series, head to maxbrownart.com and crownlynn.kiwi to watch for dates in the near future.
