About
Artist portrait by Zhenya Sokolova ©
Natalie McKean (they/she/he) is an independent artist, writer, and comic creator whose work blends metaphysical sci-fi, speculative fiction, and deeply personal visual storytelling. Self-taught and working full-time as an artist, McKean began their creative journey with pen and ink, later experimenting with acrylics before discovering scratchboard illustration—a medium they’ve continually returned to for its stark contrasts and emotional intensity. In scratchboard, they work by scratching away black ink to reveal a white clay surface, then adding colored inks to bring the images to life. This process of revealing light from darkness mirrors the thematic core of their work: the fusion of supposed opposites—light and dark, magic and science, organic and technological.
From 2010 to 2016, McKean developed Robotic Aquatic, a series of intricate mechanical sea creatures inspired by local marine life. The series marked their first public recognition and laid the foundation for a multidisciplinary practice exploring extraterrestrial life, queerness, the strength of women, and human–technology hybrids. In 2017, they completed Through the Cognitive Rift, their first graphic novel—a dark, philosophical sci-fi narrative over a decade in the making. Their current focus is M33: Galaxy of Hybrids, an ongoing comic book series spanning multiple galaxies where sentient species navigate politics, culture, coexistence, and love across dimensions.
McKean’s work draws heavily on their experiences with lucid dreaming and astral projection, infusing their art with surreal imagery and dimensional storytelling. Their religious upbringing—and the formative experience of leaving it behind—also shapes recurring themes, particularly around identity, power, and liberation. Influenced by artists such as M.C. Escher, H.R. Giger, and Frank Frazetta, their work is dark and mystical yet aspires to inspire love and expansive thought.
After years of traveling to art events across the country and living nomadically in a self-converted van—both as a way to sustain their practice and embrace creative freedom—McKean established a home studio in San Francisco, CA, where they continue to create. Through their stories, queerness, neurodivergence, and emotional complexity are not only present but central—offering worlds for those who have ever felt alien in their own, and a reminder that they are not alone.
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