The Surreal World of South-West Artist - LE GRIZZ
- The WEST Journal
- Jul 21
- 5 min read
Le Grizz has always coloured outside the lines. From being told as a young boy in art class that he was using “too much paint”, to now being known for his distinguishable use of colour, he has always followed his instincts and done things his own way. Originally hailing from South Western Sydney, Le Grizz is one of the most well-known creative artists of our generation. His unique style of incorporating abstract surrealism with pop art culture but done in the “Le Grizz Way”, makes him an artist forging his own creative path, calling on family, nature and nostalgia to shape his style.
You’ll find his artworks hung in homes, businesses and art gallery walls, his colourful, surreal characters as murals on huge concrete walls and hidden Le Grizz artworks in cities only he knows the whereabouts. His works can be found in the trademark halls of names such as Mambo, Disney, Fireball Whisky and Bacardi-Martini as well as art collectors who feel connected to the unique messages Le Grizz shares through his work.
Growing up in Campbelltown, but now living by the Blue Mountains in Lithgow, when asked who he was before he was Le Grizz, he laughs and says “just a cheeky saltwater rat. I don’t think I’ve lost that, I think I’m still that 100 kilo toddler.”
Throughout WEST’s conversation with Le Grizz, he interjects with humour and light-heartedness. His relaxed and quirky style has endeared him to all ages and is what makes him so relatable. Describing the inside of his brain like a “weird skill tester machine”, his self-effacing humour and jovial nature transposes to his art. Growing up with Footrot Flats and Murray Ball comics, while looking up to celebrated Australian painter Jeffrey Smart, has inspired his abstract and surreal style meshed with Hanna-Barbera-esque toon characters. As he puts it, “it's two completely different worlds colliding with art”. Le Grizz relishes the memory he has of Ash Road, Prestons, when he was given the opportunity to paint a large-scale illustration in his 90s style graffiti, his chance to portray his work as if it was in a Jeffrey Smart painting.
When thinking of where he got his artistic start, family, peers and friendship bonds are a major driving force. They are important to Le Grizz, this is his community, what lifts him up. As a young boy, he looked up to his two sisters and was inspired by their artistic talents and drive, their bond guiding him towards the path he is on now. Le Grizz credits his upbringing in the South West with nurturing and fostering his evolving creativity, from hours of butcher paper sketches at his mum’s workplace, to art classes at Campbelltown Arts Centre and endless family trips full of adventure, exploring, galleries, culture and art. “It was a beautiful little bubble, because you still have the country that you can see or you can go and have the city life, you're in that mix”.
As irony would have it, Le Grizz says he failed colour theory when young, but is now appreciated for it. Artists are known to pull on various mediums for inspiration, but when it comes to colour, Le Grizz pulls from deep within. He accesses nostalgia and connection, often looking to nature and his surroundings for inspiration. Whether it’s the purple hue found in a sunset, the bright neons that pepper our cityscape or the greens from the surrounding mountains of his Seven Valleys home environment. Le Grizz gives an example of when he worked on the heritage former Portland Cement Works just outside of Lithgow (now known as The Foundations Portland). He was inspired by the “deep British racing green” of the old cement bag that housed the cement mix for the concrete works. There was no matching paint at the time, so he worked with Dulux to create one, paying homage to the heritage of his canvas.
“I want to feel that colour and try to make it there. You're creating a space and how it interacts. Is it open air? Is there a roof? Does it go straight to the skyline? Is there a tree nearby I can pinch the colour of? What's the story of that area? I think the inspiration comes from where you are and what's the story you want to tell.“
When it comes to Le Grizz’s signature style, his process is all done by hand, sketching then turning it into ink and colour often not knowing what the end result will be. He attributes his early morning train trips into Sydenham from out West for inspiring his unique style of graffiti, passing walls and walls coated in thick line art. And as for those multiple eyes and characters he’s so well known for “the four eyes was about double looking at things. Some artwork I throw in the background, and that is just me looking at you. So that's you as a viewer looking back at it and you're trying to work out what's going on. Putting myself in the artwork as a bit of an eyeball sticker. So to me that's what my art is, it is different, it's a different perspective”.
His work spans different genres and businesses showing his ability to connect with his clients, from Lithgow City Council’s main street Christmas banners to creative personalised artwork for “mom and pop cafés”, local sparkies, plumbers and trades. He says he loves the mix, and looks for the story that his clients want to tell that connects with his own creative energy “I love getting a client brief, it's like getting a nice message because you know someone wants you”. Another talent that Le Grizz has is branding and packaging (thanks to his graphic design qualification), it’s something he loves and got to showcase in every aspect with Toby’s Milkbar in Prestons earlier this year.
Le Grizz still retains strong ties to South Western Sydney, with his family living in the Campbelltown and Camden areas as well as returning to Greater Western Sydney for clients wanting a piece of his signature work. He says his next big goal is do more work in Camden -
“I spent a lot of time growing up in the Campbelltown and Camden areas. You want to put some things there and you want to give back a little, I love that part of the world. It's just a beautiful little town. It's like Picton and all those surrounding places, they're calm towns, nice little villages. The people are really nice, there's a good mix of city style people but farming people too. They’re towns that smile”.
One thing is for sure, Le Grizz's humble nature and powerful gift for artistic storytelling will ensure his work will resonate for years to come. At WEST, we are proud to champion this exceptional homegrown talent and celebrate the remarkable artistry he brings to the world. You might just see some of his works out and about as you explore and discover the West.
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