Madeleine LeBrun’s uncanny clay illustrations are inspired by insects, folk art and 90s kids TV

The Toronto-based illustrator Madeleine LeBrun isn’t using the most conventional materials when it comes to illustration – the artist specialises in a mixture of bas-relief sculpture and digital photocollage. A hybrid of digital and analogue techniques, Madeleine’s process looks a bit like this: She starts with 2D sketches, then she prints these compositions and puts them behind a sheet of clear plexiglass. Madeline then sculpts directly onto her sketch using white clay, which “I get from the dollar store,” she says. “I take some high-resolution photos of my sculpture, then I enhance, colour and collage the pieces together in Photoshop.” So, her pieces start out as monocolour blocks before they turn into colourful textured works with a charming 3D appearance – a magic trick she often documents on her Instagram.

Leaning into clay’s childhood associations, Madeline translates the “innate friendliness” of her chosen medium into nostalgic loveable characters and mystical scenes, but some of her creations have an uncanny quality too. Drawn to depicting plants, animals and other elements of nature from clay’s ability to seamlessly create “rounded forms and curvy lines”, the artist doesn’t always mould things as they might normally be. Instead, Madeleine leans into the more abstract and absurd, conjuring up all kinds of unique inventions like sausage dog centipedes or medieval lizards.

When it comes to visual inspiration, Madeleine looks to the world of folk art, especially one of Canada’s most beloved folk artists, Maud Lewis. Outside of Maud’s vibrant, cheerful paintings of rural life, the illustrator’s work takes its influence from 80s and 90s kids TV, like Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. “I'm also influenced by William Morris and Art Nouveau decoration,” ends Madeline, “which comes through in my work a bit through symmetry and a strong interplay between positive and negative space.”