From the romantic streets of Paris to sun-dappled walkways of Mediterranean villages, Sergiu Ciochină’s paintings transport us to remarkable places.
The troupe of wild animals in Bruno Pontiroli’s paintings contort their bodies into backbends and handstands that would rival even the most accomplished gymnast. A wrinkly hippo balances on its tongue, a tiger arches its torso into a 90-degree angle, and a hyena rotates its hind legs in the air. The French artist (previously) notes that he begins the bizarre artworks with easily-recognized animals that he then shapes “like the way a child plays with modeling clay or a building set for instance,” morphing a simple depiction of a nimble lion or hare into a peculiar new reality. More
Bruno Pontiroli creates mind-bending explorations of the relationship between humans and animals, painting limber cows doing impressive handstands or an over-eager man embracing a large walrus, much to its chagrin. The artist shies away from labeling his work as Surrealist or Dadaist, instead proposing a new version of reality without categorization. Pontiroli will exhibit work with Galerie Klaus Kiefer at art KARLSRUHE from February 21 to 24, 2019 and with Fousion Gallery at Urvanity Art Madrid from February 28 to March 3, 2019. More
Wondrously detailed worlds emerge from busts of youthful women in clay sculptures by Chinese artist Yuanxing Liang. Ambling trees, bridges, and temples emerge from the figures’ hairline, fusing realism and fantasy in smooth resin. Despite their complex design, Liang occasionally creates small editions of his sculptures. The artist is a gradute of the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts. You can see more of his intricately wrought fantasy worlds on Weibo. More
Artist Hope Gangloff captures the personalities of her friends and family in brightly colored large-scale portraits. Gangloff’s acrylic and collage paintings show her subjects in intimate settings—often domestic interiors—in poses of relaxation or quiet focus. The artist’s strong but gestural lines create defined shapes that are filled with repetitive marks and bright patterns. Gangloff gives equal textural attention to all areas of the painting, which draws the viewer’s eye to every detail and also contextualizes each portrait sitter in a unique set of surroundings. More
Bruno Pontiroli creates mind-bending explorations of the relationship between humans and animals, painting limber cows doing impressive handstands or an over-eager man embracing a large walrus, much to its chagrin. The artist shies away from labeling his work as Surrealist or Dadaist, instead proposing a new version of reality without categorization. Pontiroli will exhibit work with Galerie Klaus Kiefer at art KARLSRUHE from February 21 to 24, 2019 and with Fousion Gallery at Urvanity Art Madrid from February 28 to March 3, 2019. More
Artist Paolo Del Toro uses needle felting to create massive masks and sculptures out of wool and foam. His creations depict mythical faces in expressions that range from grotesque grimaces to contemplative introspection; all of his works feature open mouths. While Del Toro’s work is not tied to any particular cultural visual heritage, the shifting personalities of his characters are reminiscent of Japanese Noh theater masks, which are designed to show different emotions from different angles. More
In a limited edition of 12 new sculptures created in a unique three part collaboration, weeping women mourn a decomposing figure. The cast white figures, partially collapsed in a kneeling pose, embrace amorphous forms that ooze and drip. Countering the somber tone of each sculpture, colorful coral and mushroom-like shapes grow from the decomposition, uniting life and death and forging new growth from the loss. To create this body of work, sculptor Stéphanie Kilgast (previously) partnered with illustrator Miles Johnston (previously) who conceptualized the base sculpture, and multi-disciplinary production facilitator MoonCrane Press who created the cast. More
Marija Tiurina‘s fantastical watercolor painting Eden is her biggest to date, measuring approximately 30 x 10 inches. The scene captures a woman kneeling amongst the inhabitants of a mythological forest, trapped within a busy scene that contains everything from an animated ramen bowl to an eel snaking its way through the center of her torso. The painting was inspired by the chaos of Hieronymus Bosch‘s The Garden of Earthly Delights, Tiurina creating her own take on the hedonistic 15th century work. More
Solitary protagonists investigate, embrace, or hide from emotions in evocative new drawings by Stefan Zsaitsits. The Austrian artist (previously) depicts individuals in situations that balance relatable everyday moments with surreal twists. Sitting at a dining table, one subject snorkels into the tablecloth, while another inexplicably emerges on a ladder from the seat of a chair. Zsaitsits works in pencil on paper, using crosshatching for shading and white-penciled details for subtle emphasis. More
Taller than trees and towering over buildings, Johanna Goodman‘s pieced together female forms appear to stretch far above the landscapes before them. The collaged works, which combine elements of art, design, and architecture, are a part of Goodman’s series titled The Catalogue of Imaginary Beings, which aims to explore the individual’s role in history and popular culture. “[The Catalogue of Imaginary Beings] draws its inspiration from a wide spectrum of sources—including magical realism, surrealism, and symbolism—and more specific references such cultural artifacts as talismans, idols, totems, and all of the material detritus that surrounds all of us all the time,” Goodman told Ms. More
From the romantic streets of Paris to sun-dappled walkways of Mediterranean villages, Sergiu Ciochină’s paintings transport us to remarkable places.
Bruno Pontiroli creates mind-bending explorations of the relationship between humans and animals, painting limber cows doing impressive handstands or an over-eager man embracing a large walrus, much to its chagrin. The artist shies away from labeling his work as Surrealist or Dadaist, instead proposing a new version of reality without categorization. Pontiroli will exhibit work with Galerie Klaus Kiefer at art KARLSRUHE from February 21 to 24, 2019 and with Fousion Gallery at Urvanity Art Madrid from February 28 to March 3, 2019. More
The troupe of wild animals in Bruno Pontiroli’s paintings contort their bodies into backbends and handstands that would rival even the most accomplished gymnast. A wrinkly hippo balances on its tongue, a tiger arches its torso into a 90-degree angle, and a hyena rotates its hind legs in the air. The French artist (previously) notes that he begins the bizarre artworks with easily-recognized animals that he then shapes “like the way a child plays with modeling clay or a building set for instance,” morphing a simple depiction of a nimble lion or hare into a peculiar new reality. More
In Material Earth II, a group show that just opened at Messums Wiltshire, artists explore how materials can be used to morph the meaning of traditional narratives—particularly in the context of Northern European myths and fairytales. In a statement on the show, Messums describes the exhibition as “an ode to all those that are magical, fantastical and ever-changing.” Artists include Livia Marin, Ann Carrington, Bouke de Vries, and Jessica Harrison. More
Artist Hope Gangloff captures the personalities of her friends and family in brightly colored large-scale portraits. Gangloff’s acrylic and collage paintings show her subjects in intimate settings—often domestic interiors—in poses of relaxation or quiet focus. The artist’s strong but gestural lines create defined shapes that are filled with repetitive marks and bright patterns. Gangloff gives equal textural attention to all areas of the painting, which draws the viewer’s eye to every detail and also contextualizes each portrait sitter in a unique set of surroundings. More
Bruno Pontiroli creates mind-bending explorations of the relationship between humans and animals, painting limber cows doing impressive handstands or an over-eager man embracing a large walrus, much to its chagrin. The artist shies away from labeling his work as Surrealist or Dadaist, instead proposing a new version of reality without categorization. Pontiroli will exhibit work with Galerie Klaus Kiefer at art KARLSRUHE from February 21 to 24, 2019 and with Fousion Gallery at Urvanity Art Madrid from February 28 to March 3, 2019. More
Owen Gent fosters a robust personal practice and works with commercial clients to create moody illustrations rich with metaphor.
Japanese art director Tatsuya Tanaka (previously) continues to entertain us with his ongoing miniature photo project, now stretching into its fifth year. Tanaka uses office supplies, food, and other found objects that he utilizes as set pieces or backdrops for miniature inhabitants. You would think his desire to continue the project would diminish after surpassing 1,000 photos or that his imagination would be completely tapped, but that’s clearly not the case. More
Hailing from fifteen countries, the individuals participating in Eyes as Big as Plates have backgrounds as varied as their surroundings: there are zoologists, academics, and librarians; fishermen, wild boar hunters, and Sami reindeer herders; and opera singers, kantele players, and artists. They’re tethered by the ongoing project, which dresses each figure in sculptural wearables made of organic materials that allow them to blend in with the surrounding landscape. Launched in 2011 by Norwegian-Finnish artist duo Karoline Hjorth and Riitta Ikonen (previously), Eyes as Big as Plates hinges on the idea that it’s essential to explore how humans exist within nature. More
Michael Kerbow is an artist based in San Francisco who works in a variety of mediums including painting, assemblage, drawing and digital photography. Of particular note are his large oil and acrylic paintings that depict surreal and at times nightmarish visions of the future, where industry and human development has grown without regulation or care for the environment. Kerbow shares via email: My work explores the way in which we engage with our surroundings and the possible consequences our actions have upon the world in which we live. More
Los Angeles-based illustrator and storyboard artist Victo Ngai produces layered illustrations that reveal elaborate worlds filled with unexpected details. A beautiful expanse of unencumbered nature stands guarded inside a wide-mouthed bullfrog, while a seaside city burns with brilliant flames in the fabric of a heroine’s dress. Each scene inspires the viewer to pause, making sure they haven’t missed a key character that might unlock the work’s tangled narrative. Ngai is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and provides illustrations for clients such as The New York Times and The New Yorker. More
English artist Ed Fairburn (previously) uses vintage road maps and star charts as canvases for drawn portraits. Cross-hatched patterns and shaded regions inside roads, borders, and rivers assimilate into the contours of faces as if the images had always been secretly hidden in the map’s topography. “In his hands, both built infrastructure and natural phenomena echo the organic human form,” shares Mike Wright Gallery. “National highway systems become capillaries, and the tangle of Paris’ alleyways become the wrinkles that give the face history and individuality.” Fairburn opens a new show of work alongside artist John Wentz today at Mike Wright in Denver. More
Jess Riva Cooper (previously) produces smooth ceramic busts, the mouths agape rather than closed in smile or silent contemplation. Tangled vines and rosebuds sprout from their mouths, and in some cases leaves from plants pop from the busts’ noses, engulfing the faces in their entirety. In each bust the plants are used as both ornamentation and methods of destruction, forming crowns on the subjects’ heads as they wrap themselves around the neck in a threatening gesture. More
Seoul-based artist WanJin Gim illustrates the form and gesture of the human body using complex hatched layers of color and dramatic lighting. He adds intrigue to poses that could be considered traditional figure drawing studies by adding abstracted lines and watercolor washes that integrate the fragmented body parts into a larger visual field. In an interview with Trending All Day, the artist describes his inspiration and process: I’m interested in expressing body temperature and skin smell and am studying the relationship between color and energy (Qi) for my work… Currently I usually use oil pastel and colored pencils. More
Artist Hope Gangloff captures the personalities of her friends and family in brightly colored large-scale portraits. Gangloff’s acrylic and collage paintings show her subjects in intimate settings—often domestic interiors—in poses of relaxation or quiet focus. The artist’s strong but gestural lines create defined shapes that are filled with repetitive marks and bright patterns. Gangloff gives equal textural attention to all areas of the painting, which draws the viewer’s eye to every detail and also contextualizes each portrait sitter in a unique set of surroundings. More
Swedish artist Markus Åkesson enshrouds his subjects in elaborately patterned silks and satins, leaving only the impression of their faces, limbs, and torsos visible. An extension of his ongoing Now You See Me series, the artist’s latest paintings continue his exploration of repetition and the unsettling feelings evoked by being wrapped in fabric. By completely covering his models, they “became a secret. Instead, I started to tell a story within the pattern itself, like a sub-narrative in the painting,” he writes. More
On September 28, a new kind of art event is coming to Chicago: The Other Art Fair connects collectors directly with emerging artists at immersive, interactive events around the world. After successful installments in the UK, Australia, and Los Angeles, The Other Art Fair will fill Mana Contemporary in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. From September 28-30, TOAF Chicago will present a full weekend of opportunities to meet and talk with artists, whose works are also available for sale on-site. More
We just recently covered a new set of collages by Lola Dupre (previously), but couldn’t resist sharing her latest series of stretched and distorted animals. Dupre began focusing on cats and dogs after creating several works based on her own pet Charlie, who appears again in this new series. The Scotland-based artist also created collages based on Instagram-famous pets such as @hosico_cat and @mywhiskeygirl. More
Artist Hope Gangloff captures the personalities of her friends and family in brightly colored large-scale portraits. Gangloff’s acrylic and collage paintings show her subjects in intimate settings—often domestic interiors—in poses of relaxation or quiet focus. The artist’s strong but gestural lines create defined shapes that are filled with repetitive marks and bright patterns. Gangloff gives equal textural attention to all areas of the painting, which draws the viewer’s eye to every detail and also contextualizes each portrait sitter in a unique set of surroundings. More
Bologna-based Italian artist Nunzio Paci (previously here and here) produces hauntingly detailed paintings that combine anatomical renderings with multi-colored blossoms and leaves. His latest series, Mimesis, is inspired by the idea of species evolving together over time, and the similarities shared by different organisms in order to better adapt to predators and climate. “The concept, deriving from Plato and Aristotle’s theory on reality and imitation, draws inspiration from the natural phenomenon of mimicry in evolutionary biology and gives it a broader meaning,” Paci explained to Colossal. More
Spanish illustrator Vorja Sánchez (previously) continues to plumb his imagination to create wildly original drawings and paintings. Constellations of real and invented wildlife, plants, and mysterious critters that seem to be a combination of the two, coexist in the artist’s colorful multi-media illustrations. Sánchez shares his work on Instagram and Facebook, where he also provides details on works for sale and updates on collaborative projects and murals. More
Sculptor Tach Pollard (previously) works with sustainably sourced hawthorn wood to form lustrous sculptures of mythological figures. After carving the wood, the UK-based artist finishes it with blow torches to form the dark bodies that contrast with the pale, peaceful faces on each sculptural figure. Pollard draws inspiration from myths and spiritual traditions from around the world, including Inuit and Celtic traditions, and is particularly drawn to the notions of shapeshifting and sea creatures. More
Whether folded into a box, bound by cords, or fragmented and stacked, the nondescript figures sculpted by Paris-based artist Khaled DAWWA experience some form of confinement. Their bodies are contorted into cages or squeezed into each other’s arms, and each looks down or away, a position that makes them appear to lack the power and agency to be free. Cast in dense blocks, the introspective sculptures reflect the artist’s preference for terracotta and bronze. More
Artist Ravi Zupa adds to his growing troupe of quirky characters with exhilarated sloths, angry cats, and self-conscious raccoons.
Sean Charmatz anthropomorphizes everyday objects with universal emotions of surprise, frustration, and togetherness. By adding simple black lines to fruits, plants, and office supplies, Charmatz turns these otherwise unremarkable items into relatable characters. Though the California-based artist has gained quite a following for his one-off cartoonish “explorations”, he also has a long resume in Hollywood. Charmatz has worked on several Disney and Dreamworks films in addition to his previous roles as a storyboard artist and director for six years on SpongeBob SquarePants. More
Bruno Pontiroli creates mind-bending explorations of the relationship between humans and animals, painting limber cows doing impressive handstands or an over-eager man embracing a large walrus, much to its chagrin. The artist shies away from labeling his work as Surrealist or Dadaist, instead proposing a new version of reality without categorization. Pontiroli will exhibit work with Galerie Klaus Kiefer at art KARLSRUHE from February 21 to 24, 2019 and with Fousion Gallery at Urvanity Art Madrid from February 28 to March 3, 2019. More
For Valérie Hadida, the deep, protective partnerships fostered between women provide the foundation for her practice. The French artist casts bronze sculptures that are poetic and nuanced, depicting female figures wearing contemplative and composed expressions. “Coming from a large family where women reign supreme and play a key role, they have established a bond of serenity, trust, and complicity with me,” she tells Colossal. “The heroines of my works are always women because I am deeply convinced that it is they who will change and save the world.” Hadida begins with a sketch before building the figures that eventually are covered with green patina. More
In his paintings, Swedish artist Markus Åkesson depicts ornately patterned fabrics like toile, chintz, and silks wrapped around female subjects. Instead of using the old-fashioned textiles simply as signifiers of wealth and tradition, he uses the materials to take on a more sinister tone. In some of the paintings you can see expressions of sadness in the subject’s faces, while in others, the textiles completely overtake the figures beneath, obscuring their identity and emotions. More
Los Angeles-based illustrator and storyboard artist Victo Ngai produces layered illustrations that reveal elaborate worlds filled with unexpected details. A beautiful expanse of unencumbered nature stands guarded inside a wide-mouthed bullfrog, while a seaside city burns with brilliant flames in the fabric of a heroine’s dress. Each scene inspires the viewer to pause, making sure they haven’t missed a key character that might unlock the work’s tangled narrative. Ngai is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and provides illustrations for clients such as The New York Times and The New Yorker. More
Glasgow-based artist Lola Dupre’s evocative and often humorous photographic collages of animals, historic images, and portraits tap into the unique personalities and emotions of her subjects. A cross-eyed cat has its vision multiplied, and a Shiba Inu’s joyful face pokes out of an enormous body in a play on repetition and perception. Dupre captures a range of expressions in both human and animal form (previously), exaggerating a raised eyebrow or fuzzy paw by layering numerous pieces of paper to extend legs, arm, eyes, and other features. More
Since 2017, Danish photographer Søren Solkær has traveled Europe in search of the mesmerizing natural phenomenon of murmurations.
Utah-based illustrator Jenna Barton (previously) creates shadowy portraits of animals inspired by her dreams, travels, experiences, and the aesthetic and emotions of the rural environments where she grew up. While she does integrate watercolor into some of her illustrations, Barton’s work is primarily digital. The style she refers to as “magical-realism-animal-gothic” came about around 2017, after she completed her BFA in Illustration and decided to take some time to escape the constraints of school and to focus on art that she cared about. More
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Matt Baker of Useful Charts creates helpful visual guides that condense hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years of history into streamlined flowcharts. His poster Evolution of the Alphabet looks at nearly 3,800 years of the alphabet’s evolution, tracing it from Egyptian hieroglyphs (c. 1750 BCE) through Phoenician, early Greek, and Latin, and finally to the present forms we use today. The limited edition print shows that some letters have appeared relatively the same for millennia, while others, like U, V, and W, developed much closer to our own time period from a single character. More
From the romantic streets of Paris to sun-dappled walkways of Mediterranean villages, Sergiu Ciochină’s paintings transport us to remarkable places.
San Francisco-based artist and illustrator Karla Ortiz works by day as a concept artist for Marvel Film Studios, but in her spare time also produces surreal fine art illustrations rendered in graphite. Seen here is a timelapse of a new piece that will be on view later this week as part of a new body of work titled Omens at Thinkspace Gallery. More
As widespread lockdowns swept the globe earlier this year in response to the threat of COVID-19, intimacy became fraught. For artist Käthe Butcher, the loss of an embrace or casual peck on the cheek was incredibly difficult. “The pandemic affected everyone differently. I always thought I am not that kind of person getting scared or/and paranoid easily, but in March I did. I panicked and felt very alone, which was one reason why I left London at the end of March to go back to my family. More
As widespread lockdowns swept the globe earlier this year in response to the threat of COVID-19, intimacy became fraught. For artist Käthe Butcher, the loss of an embrace or casual peck on the cheek was incredibly difficult. “The pandemic affected everyone differently. I always thought I am not that kind of person getting scared or/and paranoid easily, but in March I did. I panicked and felt very alone, which was one reason why I left London at the end of March to go back to my family. More