A silver, detailed illustration of an octopus with the text "MBD" and "Monster By Design" below it.

About MBD Monster By Design

A smiling man with a shaved head and tattoos on his arms, wearing a gray polo shirt, sitting in a medical or professional setting, with a blurred background and ceiling lights.

The Artist

I am a multi-disciplinary artist based in Suffolk, with a life long fascination for the textures and forms of the natural world. My work is informed by years of experience in high stress, technical enviroments, including Scuba Diving Instructor, Rescue Cave Diver and later working as a Dive Technician for the military. I currently work for Crown Artist Brush made famous by our handmade series 7 watercolour brush.This background taught me to look at the world differently-to appreciate the quiet, alien beauty of hidden enviroments and to respect the raw power of nature..

The Philosophy

Monster By Design (MBD) is an exploration of the surreal realism found beneath the surface of our oceans. My sculptures are not just decorative; they are artifacts from an imagined deep.

Every piece i create-whether a high relief clay octopus or a rusted wall-mounted creature-is crafted with a commitment to,

Surreal Realism: Creating forms that feel biological, tangible, and alive.

The MBD Brand; A signature aesthetic defined by ultra-wet, high-gloss finishes and deep textured detail.

Artisan Craftmanship: Each piece is built from the ground up, combining technical precision and organic monstrous imagination.

Why Monster ?

In my studio, the term”monster” isnt just about horror; its about a celebration of the unconventional. My work is driven by a desire to explore the fringes of the natural and the imagined. While my pieces are often inspired by the raw, alien biology of the deep ocean,they frequently evolve into something far more abstract and “out there”.

Chris Townson

Close-up of a metallic object with intricate details, reflective surface, and an abstract shape, set against a dark background.
Close-up of a white anatomical model of a human skull, showing the upper jaw and teeth, against a black background.
A sculpture resembling a distorted, elongated creature with multiple claws or tentacles, painted in shades of purple and brown, set on a textured black background with scattered metallic elements.
A crumpled aluminum foil sculpture resembling a fantastical creature with multiple tentacle-like appendages, a curled tail, and other intricate details, placed on a black surface with a ruler and a partial box nearby.
Close-up of orange coral with tube-like structures and blue coral in the background.
Close-up of a melted and dripped white plastic object with a bumpy surface, placed on a gray surface with various metal tools in the background.
A detailed grayscale metallic illustration of an octopus with its tentacles spread out. Below the octopus, the text "MBD" appears in large font, and beneath that, "Monster By Design" is written in smaller font.