Pabs Thomson

My work uses allegory to navigate themes of trauma, death, grief, and the inherent unpredictability of life. Drawing from personal experience, I create paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces that express emotion, reveal anxiety, and transform internal narratives into visual pieces. Often incorporating unsettling imagery, my work embraces discomfort as a place of honesty and reflection.

Many of my pieces reference mythological and folkloric stories, examining how these ancient narratives continue to shape contemporary social dynamics, shared beliefs, and cultural behaviours. I’m also drawn to origins: early religions and rituals, the first developments in medicine, and the beginnings of neuroscience and mental-health understanding. These histories inform my work and deepen my fascination with how humans have always tried to make sense of suffering, healing, and the unknown.

Art functions as a coping mechanism for me—a way to externalise fear, confront memory, and distinguish the boundaries between reality and imagination. Through making, I untangle psychological states and give shape to what is usually unseen.

I enjoy creating work that challenges people, makes them question their understanding of life and look deeper, work that is surreal, unimaginable and unnerving and although unsettling my work also strongly represent my growth, transformation and healing, its just not been easy.