My name is Jordan Szymczuk, but my Polish surname has always tripped people up (it’s pronounced shim-shook) and I figured I could use a catchy art handle, so I went with szymshady.

I’m an English artist, originally from London, but since the age of 10 I’ve been living in the Northumberland countryside.

I’ve always been interested in art, I even studied computer games art at Uni, but I wasn’t sure if it was what I wanted to do. I wanted a change of pace after graduating, so in April 2016, I joined the British Army, training as a reserve driver in the Royal Logistics Corps.

After an injury halted my training and a global pandemic put the world on pause, I suddenly found myself with more free time than I knew what to do with, so I decided I’d finally give being an artist a try. I started sharing my work online in 2020, mostly fan art based on the stuff I enjoyed, like movies, TV shows and video games.

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of my biggest inspirations on a huge range of exciting projects and I’m always eager to learn and grow as an artist along the way.

It’s been such a fulfilling journey so far, like I’m finally doing what I was meant to all along. I can’t wait to see where it’ll take me next!