
Swarez
Abstract Painting | Monumental Scale | Bold, Accessible Impact
Ed Shortland - known professionally as Swarez - creates unapologetically bold, large-scale abstract paintings designed to transform spaces and connect with people on an instinctive level. Entirely self-taught, he discovered his ability to paint in 2007, turned professional in 2013, and has since built one of the UK’s most dynamic independent art practices, with collectors and installations spanning from New York to Dubai.
Working from his custom-built Gloucestershire studio, Swarez is known for pushing technical and creative boundaries. He formulates his own paints and works on vast canvases, pouring, layering, and manipulating colour to achieve a sense of energy and depth that can’t be replicated. The result is art that feels alive - pieces made not just to fill a wall but to command it.
Beyond the studio, Swarez has reimagined how art can reach people. His business is deliberately personal and direct, bypassing galleries in favour of one-to-one relationships with clients. Alongside bespoke commissions for private collectors, high-end residential projects and global commercial spaces, he has pioneered a flexible rental model that makes statement art accessible for workplaces and large interiors - a service embraced by designers and corporate clients alike.
His work and approach have been featured by The Sunday Times, Grand Designs Magazine, and The Observer, and have appeared on screen in BBC productions, Amazon Prime’s The Feed, Sky TV’s Brassic, and Netflix shows such as Escape to the Country. Through an inventive weekly live-streamed painting show - the only of its kind with a multi-camera HD setup - Swarez also opens his process to a worldwide creative audience, sharing techniques and inspiring others.
Every Swarez painting is a one-of-a-kind experience: visceral, immediate, and fearless in scale. His art rejects gatekeeping and celebrates individuality - extraordinary work made for extraordinary spaces.
VIDEO: First ever LIVE PAINTING at the new HQ and behind the scenes footage
Artist Terms of Sale: This artist sets their own Terms & Conditions, which apply to any purchase. You can view their site below. If no terms are published there, Artisan Collective’s Fallback Terms will be used.