By Chris Nafekh, Staff Writer

Published in print Apr. 8, 2015

A blue colored banana was Cameron Brooks’ first-ever illustration.

“My mum put the banana out in front of me – I was two years old at the time,” he explained, laughing. “Instead of eating it I drew it…my mum still has the drawing.”

Like a blue banana, Cameron’s art is unique and outlandish. He encompasses the strange and stirring, drawing from a world of influences, confidently conflating bizarre with beautiful.

A sophomore exchange student from the U.K., Cameron studies art at UNC-Greensboro and is specializing in illustration. Brooks has been influenced by his youth and those he loves. With his own website and a life of experience, his artwork is clever, humorous and boldly original.

Cameron was born in Essex, England. When he was about nine years old his family moved to the countryside. As many children know, making friends at a new school is never easy.

“On my first day of class” he recalled, “I was drawing and I didn’t really know anybody. People came up to me and saw I was drawing and started talking to me.”

From then on, Cameron shared his art with the world. He drew comic books for his parents and grandparents and today, he often gifts his artwork to his friends. Brooks noted that his motivation is to make others happy.

“I’d see great art like in graffiti on the streets or the comic books I was reading and realized that’s what I want to do because it made me so happy – creating; it makes other people happy as well,” he said. “When you create a piece and somebody else is like, ‘Man, I want that, I want to buy that!’ It just surprises you.”

When he was young Cameron watched cartoons and read comics, both of which inspired him to illustrate. “Pokémon” and “Adventure Time” are still his two favorite shows.

“‘Adventure Time’, 100 percent! I’ve been watching it since it first started. I’ve seen all the seasons and episodes and you can see it in my work – the simplistic, trippy strange styles.”

Eastern art, manga and anime have also influenced Cameron’s work. ‘Pokémon,” is his original fixation, though he draws from many professional artists and contemporary Asian styles.

“I love ‘Pokémon’, love playing the games. I only watch the show very rarely now, but that’s what inspired me to start drawing first. I wanted to make my own Pokémon and draw the ones I’d seen on T.V.”

He describes his own style as a synthesis of western and eastern cultures and named Audrey Kawasaki as an exemplary and important artist.

“She draws the female form but encompasses other things,” he said in admiration. “Like, she’ll have tentacles or things coming out of the hair. She paints on wood so you can see the wood grains through all her paintings, and they’re so beautiful.”

One of Cameron’s latest works was made for his mother. In “Anything is Possible”, a dark blue sky riddled with bright stars cast light on a blissful bear beside a joyful young girl, who reaches up to catch a shooting star. In this piece, Cameron’s worldly influences and creativity are apparent.

“For a lot of her life,” said Cameron, “my mother hasn’t really known what she wants to do and she’s tackled all sorts of health problems coming from her back where she can’t walk and a little depression too. In finding new alternative therapies it’s given her a new release and inspired her. From that, she opened a shop downtown. As an opening piece to her and for her birthday, I made the constellation piece. With the bear and the girl holding onto a shooting star to stay that anything is possible, she can do whatever she wants.”

Talking to Cameron, it is easy to see that he’s a passionate student and creative artist. He cares about his work and his loved ones; the two go hand in hand.

“They’re both very important to me. I like to draw for my girlfriend because she’s a great inspiration in my life. She’s not only my girlfriend but a great friend too; she inspires me to create.”

Soon, Cameron’s art can be bought as vending-machine stickers in Coffeology on Tate Street. His work can be viewed online from his Facebook page entitled “Cam’s Illustrationology”.

For more information and to view art by Cameron Brooks, visit his website. https://www.facebook.com/cambsillustrationology?fref=ts.