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Surreal Narratives Unfurl Between Animals in Laura Catherwood’s Dreamy Paintings

by Aurelia Butler 15 September 2025, 18:00

“Flying Lesson (Dusk).” All photos by Matt Wenc. Images courtesy of the artist and Vertical Gallery, shared with permission

Surreal Narratives Unfurl Between Animals in Laura Catherwood’s Dreamy Paintings

September 15, 2025

ArtIllustrationNature

Kate Mothes

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Curious foxes, sleepy fawns, and daring mice are just a few of the woodland creatures that populate Laura Catherwood’s dreamy drawings and paintings. Working primarily in graphite and oil, she situates recognizable animals into unexpected and fantastical situations in illustrations that “explore the inner emotional landscape while simultaneously soothing the viewer,” she says.

It often takes a moment to comprehend the scope of each of Catherwood’s scenarios. A pair of spotted frogs in “Rue,” for example, is not what it seems at first, as two heads emerge from one body, and their long tongues are both pierced with a fishing hook. And in “Inexhaustible,” a toad with an unusual, bowl-like back full of water provides a tiny oasis for a troupe of flying fish.

“Inexhaustible”

Catherwood is interested in the power of illustration to channel feelings, questions, and experiences that may be challenging or revolve around grief. Her scenarios are surreal and even a little cryptic, yet we’re invited to witness intimate, affecting, and enigmatic narratives that prompt curiosity and wonder.

A couple of these works are currently on view alongside Jerome Tiunayan and Joseph Renda Jr. in The Scenic Route at at Vertical Gallery, which runs through September 27 in Chicago.

Catherwood is also currently working on a series of nine small murals as part of a public outreach project about invasive species, plus a small body of work related to species found in Upstate New York, where she’s soon moving. And she’s also preparing for two solo exhibitions next year. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

“Rue”

“Stirring”

“Listen”

“Flying Lesson (Dawn)”

“The Bridge”

“Hard to Find”

“Everything Happens for the First Time”

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PITR Highlights Storefronts, Signage, and Graffiti in Ultra-Detailed Portraits of Urban Streets
by Aurelia Butler 4 September 2025, 13:48
All images © Pizza in the Rain, courtesy of Mortal Machine Gallery, New Orleans, shared with permission
PITR Highlights Storefronts, Signage, and Graffiti in Ultra-Detailed Portraits of Urban Streets
September 4, 2025
ArtIllustration
Kate Mothes
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Whether portraying a graffiti tag below a retail window or the bond patterns of bricks, the artist known as Pizza in the Rain, or PITR, illuminates city streets and commercial ephemera in striking detail.
With meticulous attention to geometry and quotidian features, the Chicago-based artist highlights business signage and urban facades in an almost narrative way, with the occasional figure passing through on foot or on a bike. Simultaneously immersive and nostalgic, we’re invited in and at the same time reminded of disappearing vestiges of past eras.
From storefront to storefront, we can imagine PITR’s compositions are snapshots of one continuous city, even though many of the distinctive locations are in different places around the U.S. Many recent scenes are evocative of New Orleans, with boarded-up shutters, like those often seen in the French Quarter, or historical markers. Circo’s Pastry Shop is a real place in Brooklyn, and The California Clipper is a well-known lounge in Chicago.
PITR renders everyday details with equal importance, from sprayed markings on the sidewalk, like the kind the gas company might make, to weathered awnings and neon logos. Nothing blurs into the background in his portraits of individual buildings and maximalist city blocks. On one hand, the locations appear realistic, yet on the other, there is a sense of fantasy and surrealism in their precisely drawn, slightly dystopian imperfections.
If you’re in New Orleans, stop by Mortal Machine Gallery to check out these pieces alongside new works by Max Seckel in Parallel Structures, which opens on September 12. Explore even more on PITR’s Instagram.
Collaboration with Max Seckel
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‘Where’s Waldo?’ Meets Sarcastic, Dystopian Visions in Ben Tolman’s Elaborate Ink Drawings
by Aurelia Butler 28 August 2025, 17:22
“Apartments” (2025), ink on paper, 91.4 x 120.7 centimeters. All images courtesy of the artist and Galerie LJ, shared with permission
‘Where’s Waldo?’ Meets Sarcastic, Dystopian Visions in Ben Tolman’s Elaborate Ink Drawings
August 28, 2025
ArtIllustration
Kate Mothes
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Rendered in delicately cross-hatched ink, dozens of figures inhabit towering structures or assemble in crowds in the elaborate scenes of Pittsburgh-based artist Ben Tolman. Evoking the playfulness of Where’s Waldo? and the optical illusions of M.C. Escher, the artist conjures what Galerie LJ calls “a kind of human zoo.”
Opening next month, the gallery presents Tolman’s solo exhibition, Control, the title of which takes its cue from current events. Throughout the last 15 years, the artist has channeled an undercurrent of disconnection and imagined dystopian settings. His forthcoming show acknowledges the uncomfortable notion that some of these elements have become disconcertingly close to reality.
“Connected” (2025), ink and acrylic on paper, 109.9 x 82.5 centimeters
Tolman depicts faceless humans that move in sheeplike herds, “willingly following paths that clearly go against their own interests: technology, invisible barriers, belief systems, trends, politics,” the gallery says. The works in Control ask: how far are they (or we) willing to go? At what cost comes folly—or simply not paying attention?
In works like “Apartment” and “Routine,” anonymous figures mill about in individual, soulless boxes. Some appear to be working, relaxing, or socializing. Others just seem to stand there, staring into their phones. And in the darkly comical “Connected,” people queue to walk up a towering ramp structure, absorbed so much in their screens as they head up the incline that it’s too late before they realize they’ve stepped right off the precipice.
“With a generous dose of cynicism and voyeurism, Tolman portrays the eccentric truths and social failures of Western society,” the gallery says. “That’s what (he) is trying to understand—or to condemn. The future he sketches might seem bleak, were it not infused with a delicious sarcasm.”
Control runs from September 5 to October 4 in Paris. Find more on Tolman’s website and Instagram.
Detail of “Routine”
“Caution” (2025), ink and acrylic on paper, 72.4 x 117.5 centimeters
“Naked Bike Ride” (2025), ink on paper, 22.9 x 81.3 centimeters
“Routine” (2025), ink on paper, 68.6 x 55.9 centimeters
Detail of “Apartments”
“Migration” (2025), ink on paper, 61 x 91.4 centimeters
Detail of “Migration”
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Hypnotic Patterns Envelop Sofia Bonati’s Nostalgic and Stylish Imagined Portraits
by Aurelia Butler 29 July 2025, 17:19
All images courtesy of Sofia Bonati, shared with permission
Hypnotic Patterns Envelop Sofia Bonati’s Nostalgic and Stylish Imagined Portraits
July 29, 2025
ArtIllustration
Kate Mothes
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In the bold, imagined portraits of Sofia Bonati (previously), women gaze confidently from swaths of fabric and symmetrical organic elements. Whether cloaking her figures in geometric patterns or natural details like insect wings, each individual gazes directly at the viewer amid vibrant backgrounds and elegant garments.
Bonati often derives her patterns and outfits from historical sources, especially hairstyles and gowns from the early 20th century. Surrounded by optical designs and repetitive motifs, her compositions are as nostalgic and surreal as they are contemporary. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
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Wandering Minds Reach the Bounds of Post-Its in Aron Wiesenfeld’s ‘Playtime’
by Aurelia Butler 24 June 2025, 17:22
All images courtesy of Aron Wiesenfeld, shared with permission
Wandering Minds Reach the Bounds of Post-Its in Aron Wiesenfeld’s ‘Playtime’
June 24, 2025
ArtBooks
Grace Ebert
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Known primarily for mysterious paintings, Aron Wiesenfeld (previously) has been experimenting with a tinier canvas, packing the same enigmatic energy into the confines of a yellow Post-It. His ink drawings rely on intricate line work and the artist’s ability to convey vast narratives within a three-inch square.
Wiesenfeld’s foray into Post-Its began on a whim, although it’s grown into a vast collection he’s now publishing as a book. Available for backing on Kickstarter, Playtime comprises the entire body of work within 120 pages. (The campaign notably surpassed its goal within minutes of launching.)
In addition to drawings, Playtime contains poems and writing about the series. The title nods to much of Wisenfeld’s preferred subject matter, which often centers on children in a listless state. Rather than partake in a rowdy game with friends, his protagonists are frequently alone, plunking away at piano keys or staring off into the distance. “I think of these small drawings like short stories. They are based on inspiration that I found in daily life,” he says.
Wiesenfeld is based in North Carolina, and you can find more of his work on his website.
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In ‘Passing Time,’ Seth Clark’s Jumbled Old Houses Play, Leap, and Explore
by Aurelia Butler 2 June 2025, 14:58
All images courtesy of Seth Clark and Paradigm Gallery + Studio, Philadelphia, shared with permission
In ‘Passing Time,’ Seth Clark’s Jumbled Old Houses Play, Leap, and Explore
June 2, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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Crumbling shingle roofs, peeling plywood, and fragmented framing characterize much of Seth Clark’s recent work, in which spheres or mounds of dilapidated houses serve as studies of texture, material, time, and neglect. In new work on view this week in his solo exhibition Passing Through at Paradigm Gallery + Studios, he’s made one mindful addition: limbs.
The Pittsburgh-based artist’s collaged paper paintings, pastel and ink transfer drawings, and sculptures reflect his interest in the chaotic aesthetic of collapsing houses. More recently, his jumbled compositions have sprouted legs, strolling or running and adding a sense of both urgency and playfulness to the architectural forms.
Drawing on daily observations and photographs, especially of Pittsburgh’s suburban row houses, Clark assembles references for window frames, siding, gables, roof lines, and more to emphasize various states of deterioration. Found materials and papers provide the paintings’ layered textures, which he then ages with ink washes, charcoal, graphite, pastel, and acrylic. His new works are dollhouse-like and a smidge brighter than in the past, with the addition of cheerful pinks, yellows, and purples to complement darker browns and grays.
Clark’s anthropomorphized constructions suggest the nature of inhabiting—something akin to the soul of a place in addition to its physical makeup. The artist “attributes this change to recently becoming a father and developing an urge to instill hope into crumbling houses and broken window panes,” the gallery says. “What was first a sobering reminder of mortality has now become a message of how, even in states of chaos and decay, there can still be enough joy found in dark places to pick up the pieces and create something new.”
Passing Through runs from June 6 to June 29 in Philadelphia. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
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In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books
by Aurelia Butler 27 May 2025, 16:00
“Decoy Boy.” All images © Michael Ezzell, shared with permission
In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books
May 27, 2025
ArtIllustration
Kate Mothes
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It’s not too often that a high school art project morphs into a through-line in an artist’s professional practice, but for illustrator and printmaker Michael Ezzell, that’s exactly how his ongoing series The Junior Classic was born. Tearing pages from vintage books, he experiments with a range of media, compositional elements, and narratives that then inspire further paintings and prints.
“When I was starting out, I would just paint over the text of the page and create something brand new from some mundane book I had,” Ezzell tells Colossal. “Eventually, it evolved into using the page’s illustration or ornate chapter headings as a jumping-off point for what I would create on the page.”
“Cloudmaker”
Among many others, Ezzell especially graviates toward illustrations in the Alice in Wonderland series, originally drawn by Sir John Tenniel and reimagined during subsequent decades by more than half a dozen other artists like Mabel Lucie Attwell, Gwynedd M. Hudson, Maria L. Kirk, and even Salvador Dalí.
“I’ve gotten my book-hunting more down to a science now,” the artist says. “I look for weird and obscure manuals or children’s books with lots of pictures or funky text formatting. Anything that could have strange connotations when taken out of context is what I’m drawn to.” He approaches each page’s inherent qualities—a printed phrase or a small drawing—like a prompt or a call-and-response, which taps into a refreshingly different kind of problem-solving than working on a large, blank canvas.
Ezzell is particularly interested in world-building and immersive stories, and his motifs and characters take cues from tarot, Surrealism, playing cards, and early-20th-century fashion. The title of the series nods to a set of 10 books titled The Junior Classics, first published in 1912, which were intended for young readers as a counterpart to the Harvard Classics series.
The Junior Classic consists of more than 400 pieces (and growing), and Ezzell is currently working on his own tarot deck, which in turn is inspiring more narrative possibilities. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
“Two Rivers”
“Now Here”
“Three Phases of Mitsy Diller”
“Mind Over Matter”
“Love Makes the World Go Down”
“The Escapist”
“The Great Cassino”
“The Duchess”
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A Unique Portfolio of Hilma af Klint’s Botanical Drawings Communes with Nature’s Spiritual Side
by Aurelia Butler 21 May 2025, 15:01
“Woodrush, Viola, Golden Saxifrage, Field Horsetail, Marsh Marigold, Lesser Celandine, Sedge (Frylet, Violen, Gullpudran, Åkerfräknet, Kabelöken, Svalörten, Starrgräset)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, and ink on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 9/16 inches. All images courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, shared with permission
A Unique Portfolio of Hilma af Klint’s Botanical Drawings Communes with Nature’s Spiritual Side
May 21, 2025
ArtHistoryNature
Kate Mothes
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With the Industrial Revolution in full swing at the turn of the 20th century, jobs and opportunities attracted people to burgeoning cities. New technologies were being developed at breakneck speed and discoveries within the natural sciences introduced people to invisible yet potent concepts like radio waves and X-rays.
During this period of social transformation, philosophical or occult religious movements like Spiritualism and Helena Blavatsky’s Theosophy offered ways to not only connect within a like-minded community but to explore the afterlife—the so-called spirit world—and the very fabric of the universe.
“Sunflower (Solrosen)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 3/4 × 10 9/16 inches
For Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), like many who sought refuge and inspiration in these belief systems, a spiritual link to her surroundings united her with the natural world during “a period of massive change…as people from all levels of society were searching for something new to hold on to,” Johan af Klint and Hedvig Ersman wrote about the Swedish artist’s spiritual journey.
Now on view at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers highlights the institution’s recent acquisition of a phenomenal, 46-leaf portfolio called Nature Studies.
During the spring and summer of 1919 and 1920, af Klint recorded Sweden’s seasonal flora, from lilies of the valley and sunflowers to violets and cherry blossoms. Beyond traditional botanical studies, the artist incorporates her characteristic abstractions and diagrams, surrounding each rendering with esoteric annotations and geometries.
“One has to think of the realm of the nature spirits as the realm of thought; these entities hover around us, some like driving winds, others like soft summer breezes,” af Klint once said.
“Lily of The Valley, Water Avens, Common Milkwort (Liljekonvaljen, Fårkummern, Jungfrulinet)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 5/8 inches
Grids with unique color relationships or energetic spirals accompany renderings of field woodrush or marsh marigold, and tree specimens are paired with dotted checkerboards. “Through these forms, af Klint seeks to reveal, in her words, ‘what stands behind the flowers,’” the museum says, “reflecting her belief that studying nature uncovers truths about the human condition.”
What Stands Behind the Flowers continues through September 27 and is accompanied by a catalogue that is slated for release on Tuesday. Find your copy on Bookshop, and plan your visit to MoMA on the museum’s website.
“Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem, Lungwort, Coltsfoot, Nailwort, Pasqueflower (Vårlöken, Lungörten, Hästhoförten, Nagelörten, Backsippan)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, and ink on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 9/16 inches
“Common Lime (Linden)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1919), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 5/8 inches
“Tulip (Tulpanen)” from the portfolio ‘Dornach Nature Studies’ (1920), watercolor, pencil, ink, and metallic paint on paper from a portfolio of 46 drawings, sheet: 19 5/8 × 10 5/8 inches
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Metaphysical Interactions Unfold in Moonassi’s Surreal ‘Mind Illustrations’
by Aurelia Butler 12 May 2025, 18:00
“Same difference” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 72.7 x 60.6 centimeters. All images courtesy of the artist, shared with permission
Metaphysical Interactions Unfold in Moonassi’s Surreal ‘Mind Illustrations’
May 12, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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Through ink on hanji paper that juxtaposes deep blacks with delicate cross-hatching, surreal scenes unfold in the drawings of Seoul-based artist Moonassi (previously). Through the dramatic use of chiaroscuro and simple yet elegantly delineated faces, hands, and limbs, the artist constructs dreamlike worlds in which figures commune and explore.
Moonassi’s use of meok, a traditional Korean inkstick ground with water against a stone to produce a liquid, results in a deep black medium achieved through a meditative process. He refers to his work as “mind illustration,” delving into the emotional and psychological bonds between pairs, small groups, and otherworldly surroundings.
“Meme” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 130.3 x 193.9 centimeters
Recent pieces like “Same difference” explore dualities like opaqueness and transparency, weight and lightness, and unity and individuality. Moonassi’s compositions are often intrinsically introspective, as the figures interact with others that may or may not be versions of themselves or figments of their own imaginations.
Repetition and scale play significant roles in the artist’s work, like in “Meme,” in which a central figure crouches onto the ground and gently cups another tiny figure in their hands, who in turn does the same. At some point, it dawns on us that the main figure is also framed by enormous hands, akin to an otherworldly Matryoshka nesting doll. Moonassi’s scenes challenges our senses of perspective, presence, care, and the spiritual world.
Find more on the artist’s website.
“Mineral Wait” (2024), ink on Hanji, 76 × 145 centimeters
“Acrobat IV” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 72.7 x 60.6 centimeters
“Becoming Nature” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 72.7 x 60.6 centimeters
“The feeling aligned for us” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 130.3 x 190.4 centimeters
“Rippled and sparkled” (2024), ink on Hanji, 130.3 x 193.9 centimeters
“Feeling Kintsugi” (2024), ink and acrylic on Hanji, 72.7 x 60.6 centimeters
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drawing

Latest story

Surreal Narratives Unfurl Between Animals in Laura Catherwood’s Dreamy Paintings

More stories

PITR Highlights Storefronts, Signage, and Graffiti in Ultra-Detailed Portraits of Urban Streets

‘Where’s Waldo?’ Meets Sarcastic, Dystopian Visions in Ben Tolman’s Elaborate Ink Drawings

Hypnotic Patterns Envelop Sofia Bonati’s Nostalgic and Stylish Imagined Portraits

Wandering Minds Reach the Bounds of Post-Its in Aron Wiesenfeld’s ‘Playtime’

In ‘Passing Time,’ Seth Clark’s Jumbled Old Houses Play, Leap, and Explore

In ‘The Junior Classic,’ Michael Ezzell Builds an Uncanny World from Vintage Books

A Unique Portfolio of Hilma af Klint’s Botanical Drawings Communes with Nature’s Spiritual Side

Metaphysical Interactions Unfold in Moonassi’s Surreal ‘Mind Illustrations’

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