Category: Animals

Visceral Enigmas in the Art Work of Allison Sommers

“Pink viscera, heroic dogs, war detritus, barnacled crabs, and embedded nothings” are among the many curious images, both literal and metaphoric, that the Brooklyn-based art worker Allison Sommers uses to describe her creations. Across her portfolio, animals and human appendages unfurl and splatter into gleeful-grotesque jumbles of rot and metamorphosis, defying the confines of prescribed […]

Mimesis in New Anatomical Paintings by Nunzio Paci

Nunzio Paci is Bologna-based painter and illustrator known for his philosophic re-imaginings of anatomical studies. Themes of death, rebirth, and the undefinable boundaries of the body and spirit have followed him throughout his work. Whereas his older paintings (featured here) explored life as it bloomed from human cadavers, his newer works shift the focus to […]

Overlay Tattoos: An Update from Pablo Puentes

Pablo Puentes’ “double up” tattoos (as he labels them) became viral in 2016—see our past post here. Since then the Canadian artist continues to work on superimposed designs that are frequently requested by his clients. Female beauties and beasts are crawling and clawing away in recurring themes; he merges “people with animals, reverting humanity back […]

Welcome to Faunwood: Enchanting Beasts by Miranda Zimmerman

Miranda Zimmerman, working under the title Faunwood, is a freelance artist currently based in the Pacific Northwest. With a bachelor’s degree in Evolutionary Biology, a graduate certificate in Science Illustration, and experience working on paleontological reconstruction in Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, it is clear she has a vested interest in the transformations and […]

Complex Creatures Crafted Out of Balloons by Masayoshi Matsumoto

Balloon art is a common sight at children’s birthday parties, but artist Masayoshi Matsumoto has elevated the practice with his complex sculptures. Using only balloons—no markers, adhesives, or other sealants—he crafts creatures large and small and doesn’t limit himself to a particular size or species. While all are impressive, the bulbous forms lend themselves well […]

Presence & Void: Serenely Surreal Paintings by Victor Grasso

The paintings of Victor Grasso are both surreal and ordinary, erotic and innocent, eerie and filled with light. Based in Cape May, New Jersey, Grasso’s work is heavily influenced by the sea, one of his principal muses. One of the many things that makes Grasso so fascinating as a contemporary painter—in addition to the complex […]

The Dreamlike, Story-Filled Paintings of Herakut

Herakut is the name of a German street artist duo comprised of Hera (Jasmin Siddiqui) and Akut (Falk Lehmann). Since 2004, they have joined their skills and shared visions in creating story-and-symbol-filled artworks all around the world, both on buildings as large-scale murals and on canvas, paper, and film in the studio. Duality is a […]

Fusions of Body and Myth: Art by Stephanie Inagaki

Stephanie Inagaki is a Southern California–based fine artist and metalsmith. Her charcoal drawings are dark, poetic fusions of self and myth, drawing especially from Japanese folklore. The female subjects—which are often representations of herself—merge with crows and supernatural monsters, their bodies transmuting into uncanny hybrids inscribed with ageless mythologies. A particular emphasis is placed on […]

Neo-Traditional Tattoos of “Pastel Gore” by Brando Chiesa

Italian tattooist Brando Chiesa calls his work “pastel gore,” and the description is so apt. His bold neo-traditional style is seeping with cotton candy pinks, mint greens, and lilac. Despite this subdued palette, the content of his work is grotesque. His imagery is often inspired by Japanese pop culture—including animated films by Hayao Miyazaki and Pokemon—and given […]