Katabasis, 2025

Dylan Roworth  

Dylan Anthony Roworth (b. 1990, St. Catharines, Ontario) is a Toronto-based artist known for his evocative oil paintings that intertwine personal narrative with the mythos of the American West. A graduate of Sheridan College, where he earned a Visual Creative Arts Diploma, and OCAD University with a BFA in Drawing and Painting, Roworth's work deeply explores themes of loneliness, searching, and romanticism, using the figure of the cowboy as a central protagonist.

Roworth's artistic journey is shaped by his upbringing as the son of a single truck-driving father and inspired by the West, along with a quest to understand an absent native american mother from California. This duality fuels his exploration of the idealized West—a landscape rich with nostalgia and complexity. The Greek god Dionysus serves as a significant source of inspiration, reflecting Roworth's fascination with themes of loss and rebirth. Like the motherless god, his cowboy character navigates a path of creative destruction, shedding old identities to emerge anew.

Incorporating elements of humor reminiscent of country music, Roworth's work illuminates darker feelings, probing the depths of his mother's absence due to drug abuse and hereditary trauma. His paintings draw upon a rich tapestry of references, including Greek mythology, eschatology, and the symbolism of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and Rococo painters. Through these lenses, Roworth demythologizes traditional Country Western tropes, transforming them into poignant narratives that reflect his biography.

His achievements include winning the Kenwood Design Competition at the Interior Design Show in Toronto and completing commercial projects for hotels in Los Angeles, Singapore, and Boston. Recently, his work garnered attention in Architectural Digest, further establishing his presence in the contemporary art scene.

Roworth continues to push boundaries in his exploration of identity, memory, and the complexities of the human experience, inviting viewers to engage with the deeper narratives woven into his compelling pastoral scenes.