“Flowers have those beautiful shapes we love to look at, but the reason behind their beauty is attracting butterflies and other insects for the purpose of disseminating pollen. So, flowers manipulate others with their striking physical appearance. Their beauty therefore exists for solely egoistical reasons in fact, and I find this rather fascinating.”  – Mat Collishaw

In his latest – Alluvion – series Mat Collishaw explores the intersection of nature’s evolutionary processes and artificial intelligence, examining how life’s instincts and behaviors can be manipulated. Building on his earlier explorations of the “evolutionary arms race” — the cycle of behaviors driving survival and reproduction — Collishaw focuses on AI’s potential to simulate and accelerate these patterns. His new tapestry works redefine floral forms, hybridizing species and evolving their digital DNA into increasingly complex and imaginative creations.

With Alluvion, Collishaw reinvents a centuries-old art form for the digital age, masterfully crafting an immersive and thought-provoking body of work that challenges perceptions of authenticity, craftsmanship, and technology’s evolving role in art. By blending AI with the historic jacquard weaving process, he not only reimagines floral and illusionary forms but also questions the very nature of digital creation and its relationship to human artistry.

“Nature and art history are two themes that have been present in my work for over 20 years. I’ve drawn from them to explore how we create images of the world around us and the way those images influence or change the way we see the world.” – Mat Collishaw