Poet and illustrator Matthew Hodson (also known as Matthew the Horse) translates his thoughts and feelings through his art. “I like how drawing allows me to give shape to my ideas through its own visual language,” he told Lecture in Progress. “Often that voice is the voice of a wally singing to his dog, or the voice of someone in the woods looking at a dead tree,” he jokes. “I like poetry for the same reason; collecting bits of the day, trying to make sense of them.”
Based in Leeds, his work has been featured in top tier publications like The Guardian, New York Times, and The Economist. “I’m not a naturally gifted draftsperson,” he admits, adding: “I draw like a pissed robot most of the time, but there’s always intent in my hand where I’m trying to find that correct balance between control and wobble.”
“I get stressed out all the time by fear, guilt, and frustration that I should be doing more, making better, pushing further,” he adds, talking about the hardships of being an artist. “But I think I can combat this by looking at my own drawings more than my phone and spending more time thinking about nothing.”
Scrolling through his Instagram page is a delightful experience and one you won’t regret.
