Story

What they see:

Sebastian Gower was born in the small farming town of Te Awamutu, New Zealand, one of three brothers raised amidst the legacy of proud and resilient farmers. His journey as an artist began at the age of six, painting daily on a glass barrier outside his home. His mother would wash it clean each evening, and he would start again the next day.
High school scholarships pushed Seb to pursue an education in Fine Arts, but he quickly dropped out, feeling disconnected from the conventional methods of others. Seb completed his studies with a degree in Philosophy and Art History, realizing that art is the 'what,' but to be great, it needed a 'why.'
Seb’s artistic path took unexpected turns, from spending six years working at a summer camp in the U.S. Far from fine linen canvas and delicate oils, he painted murals in cabins and backdrops for camp events. The key truly turned in the lock during New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdowns. Noticing a proliferating numbness and growing isolation worldwide, he set up a tripod in a Christchurch restaurant storage shed. It was 2 a.m. when a livestream, intended to spark a few small connections, reached 600,000 viewers around the world, launching the painter into the global spotlight.
Today, Seb’s vibrant art is held in private collections across nine U.S. states, Canada, Germany, Ireland, France, the UK, Singapore, Laos, Australia, and New Zealand, with 400,000+ supporters worldwide. Seb’s work brings joy and contagious passion to those who experience it. Inspired by his love of Van Gogh and Picasso, Seb’s mission is to proliferate happiness through his work, leaving the world a brighter place, one surface at a time.

Who I am:

As a child, I would dream about Picasso and Van Gogh.

I would look at their work, and lives, with passion and empathy. Imagining being them, but deep down always neglecting the whisper as a pipe dream.

It was incredible people who took my pipe dream and demanded it enter reality. Had it not been for the happiness others have felt and their demands for more, I might be pursuing another career; all the while, ignoring the little whisper of a dream that a 5-year-old boy imagined. I know that little boy would smile wide if he could see how happy his craft would one day make others. 

It's the smile of that kid and the fulfillment of others that fuels my journey. To be gifted with a craft that adds to others is the greatest gift I can imagine. When I view a canvas through this lens, self-responsibility carries the brush and the work is entirely nullified.

It's my mission to proliferate this fulfillment and pleasure. To disseminate happiness into the hearts of everyone I can reach.