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Mason Pott’s new body of work captures botanical depth and diversity through tender paintings.
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“I’iwi.” All images courtesy of Jon Ching and American Bird Conservancy, shared with permission
Jon Ching Advocates for Six Endangered Hawaiian Birds in Vivid Detail
August 19, 2025
ArtNature
Grace Ebert
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Paradise for some, Hawai‘i is a place of ecological contradiction. The islands are known for their beautiful beaches and lush forests, and yet, they’re also home to the largest threats to avian populations. Dubbed “the bird extinction capital of the world,” Hawai‘i has witnessed its forest species decline from 50 to just 17 today.
A vivid series of paintings by Kaneohe-born artist Jon Ching zeroes in on the magnificent beauty of six endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers, rare creatures found nowhere else on Earth. Ching is a 2024 Conservation and Justice Fellow for the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), an organization dedicated to supporting wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Teaming up with Birds, Not Mosquitoes, ABC has been working to combat non-native mosquitoes on the islands, which have decimated populations with avian malaria.
“‘Akeke’e”
Like much of Ching’s work, these paintings are hyperrealistic, portraying the subjects’ soft plumes and scaled claws with impeccable, otherworldly detail. Many are set against flat, graphic backdrops reflective of different aspects of Hawaiian culture. The artist writes on Instagram that the ‘Akeke’e has a “specialized crossbill that helps them open up ‘ōhi‘a lehua buds in search of insects,” adding about the work of the same name:
I made a patterned design of the ‘ōhi‘a lehua, almost as a contemporary wallpaper or textile design, but have the flower and leaves transforming from 2D to 3D as the birds perch on them. In this way, their presence gives life to this important native tree like it cares for it in the wild.
Find more about Ching’s work with ABC and the fellowship program on the organization’s website.
“‘Apapane”
“Maui ‘Alauahio”
“Palila”
“‘Akikiki”
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“Momo” (2024), oil on canvas, 63 x 86 5/8 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Marc Straus Gallery, New York
Tens of Thousands of Individual Dots Bring Ornamental Rugs to Life in Antonio Santín’s Paintings
January 9, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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From grid-like woven patterns to intertwined strands of fringe, Antonio Santín’s hyperrealistic oil paintings (previously) look incredibly similar to the ornamental carpets they’re modeled on. By studying real rugs and the way they scrunch, fold, and interact with light, he transfers these qualities to canvas. The overall designs, however, are a product of the artist’s imagination.
Santín trained as a sculptor, and his eye for shapes and the power of contrast lent itself to paintings with tactile textures and a dimensionally illusory quality. “In the past two years, as his technical skills allowed for far more detail than is found on a sewn carpet, he began to invent the entire image,” says Marc Straus, who is presenting Santín’s work in the artist’s seventh solo show with the gallery.
Detail of “Puente de plata”
The artist continues to employ a precisely calibrated pneumatic compressor that allows him to apply oil pigments millimeters at a time. Tens of thousands of individual dots are arranged to create a consistent rhythm across the entire surface.
New paintings in Puente de plata, or “silver bridge,” celebrate the relationship between abstraction and pure pattern, reveling in vibrant color and intricacy in works that are more personal. The show opens tomorrow and continues through March 1 in New York. Explore more on the gallery’s website and Santín’s Instagram.
“Puente de plata” (2024), oil on canas, 63 x 85 5/8 inches
“Tafalla” (2023), oil on canvas, 23 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches
“Victoria” (2024), oil on canvas, 94 1/2 x 78 3/4 inches
Detail of “Victoria”
Detail of “Victoria”
“Carambola” (2024), oil on canvas, 70 7/8 x 78 3/4 inches
“Aldealengua” (2024), oil on canvas, 25 3/8 x 21 1/2 x 2 inches (framed)
Detail of “Aldealengua”
“Puente de plata” (2024), oil on canas, 63 x 85 5/8 inches
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Art
#acrylic
#animals
#climate crisis
#hyperrealism
#Lisa Ericson
#painting
#plants
October 6, 2023
Grace Ebert More
Art
#ceramics
#hyperrealism
#sculpture
#trompe l’oeil
#woodDecember 16, 2021Grace Ebert“Carbon Footprint.” All images © Christopher David White, shared with permissionIn his Richmond studio, artist Christopher David White (previously) practices an alchemy of materials as he transforms slabs of clay into deceptive sculptures and functional objects that appear carved from hunks of decaying wood. His trompe l’oeil ceramics are fragile depictions of the hardy material, complete with its gnarled knots and splintered edges in various states of decomposition.To achieve such a hyperrealistic finish, each piece undergoes multiple rounds of detailing—head to Instagram for a glimpse behind-the-scenes—which White starts by shaping the initial form with knots and branches and imprinting large grooves for the grain. After the work dries slightly, dental instruments, wire brushes, and Xacto knives aid in crafting the more intricate components, and the slightly dehydrated material lends itself to natural cracks and divots that enhance the woody texture. Once fired, the artist paints each sculpture with a largely neutral palette of acrylics.White continues to explore humans’ relationship to the environment in both his figures and smaller works, although he’s recently shifted to more overt considerations of the topic. “I seek to highlight humanity’s abuse and disregard for nature along with the contradictions in our actions,” he says. “Humans have a tendency to acknowledge the beauty, fragility, and uniqueness of nature while simultaneously viewing it as a resource to be endlessly exploited, controlled, and discarded.”Shop prints in White’s shop, and keep an eye on his Instagram and site for updates on new batches of mugs, planters, and other works.“Paint It Red”“Pushing Up Daisies”“Weathered Heart”“Not 2B”“Coral mug”“Small planters”“Teapot set”
#ceramics
#hyperrealism
#sculpture
#trompe l’oeil
#woodDo stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts, and much more. Join now! Share this story More
Art
Illustration
#colored pencil
#drawing
#flowers
#hyperrealism
July 26, 2021
Grace Ebert
“Red Poppy,” 45 x 45 inches. All images © CJ Hendry, shared with permission
Previously drawing giant strokes of oil paint and fruits, fish, and other edibles with remarkable depth and detail, Australian artist CJ Hendry shifts her focus to the soft, silky petals of peonies, roses, and tulips. She uses colored pencils to render individual florals and small bunches at an immense scale, magnifying their thin layers and sticky inner organs. The hyperrealistic drawings enhance the dimension and delicacy of each flower as they appear to blossom from the paper with exquisite detail.
Hendry lives in Brooklyn and is working on similar botanical pieces for an upcoming exhibition in a dilapidated church in Mile End. Until that London show, follow her works and keep an eye out for limited-edition releases on her Instagram.
“Peony Peeping,” 65 x 65 inches
Detail of “Red Poppy,” 45 x 45 inches
“Pink Fluffy Peony,” 45 x 45 inches
Detail of “Pink Fluffy Peony,” 45 x 45 inches
Detail of “Light Peach Rose,” 41 x 41 inches
“Light Peach Rose,” 41 x 41 inches
“White Peeping Peony,” 45 x 45 inches
Detail of “White Poking Peony,” 41 x 41 inches
#colored pencil
#drawing
#flowers
#hyperrealism
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Art
Colossal
#activism
#drawing
#emotions
#hyperrealism
#portraits
May 6, 2021
Grace Ebert
“Bullets and Denim #2” (2020), charcoal and graphite on paper, 30 x 26 inches. All images © Arinze Stanley, shared with permission
For the past few years, Nigerian artist Arinze Stanley (previously) has been at the forefront of hyperrealism with his powerful and sometimes surreal portraits that are arresting in size and emotion, which he discusses in a new interview supported by Colossal Members. His charcoal-and-graphite works are rendered in stunning detail and bear broader political messages, particularly in relation to state-sanctioned violence and his own experiences suffering from police and military brutality.
What people don’t recognize about Bullets and Denim is that the artwork shows emotion on all parts, but if you have a gunshot to your head, you should be dead, right? Well, these people in the photo are not dead. That encapsulates the concept of endurance in general. Even as we try to stitch the patches of our reality, I want people to see that, that we’ve had it to the head. Enough is enough. It’s a visual representation of enough is enough because from here onwards is death.
Colossal managing editor Grace Ebert joined Stanley for a conversation in March 2021 about how he brings his subjects to points of extreme frustration, the ways his drawings resonate with different audiences around the globe, and how he envisions his artworks as catalysts for meaningful change.
“The Machine Man 1” (2019), pencil on paper
#activism
#drawing
#emotions
#hyperrealism
#portraits
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts, and much more. Join now!
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Art
#hyperrealism
#oil painting
#painting
#water
February 23, 2021
Grace Ebert
(1986), oil on canvas, 63 1/2 x 51 3/8 inches. Image via Christie’s
Swollen, glistening, and saturated with illusion, the ubiquitous water drop absorbed Kim Tschang-Yeul throughout his career. The Korean artist, who died earlier this year, was faithful to the seemingly mundane subject matter, choosing to depict the dewy orbs repeatedly after an initial painting in 1972 following his relocation to France. Inspired originally by a water-soaked canvas in his studio, Kim nurtured the viscous element in his hyperrealistic paintings created across nearly five decades. In an essay about the artist’s unending commitment, Dr. Cleo Roberts writes:
It is a tendency that seems to unite many of Korea’s avant-garde who took from Art Informel in the early ‘60s, including Ha Chong-Hyun and Park Seo-Bo. In this generation of artists, there is a ritualistic devotion to a chosen form, process, and, at times, colour. One could venture that, in the context of living in a volatile country ravaged by war, the security of immersion in a singular mode was an empowering choice, and may have been a necessary psychological counterpoint.
Whether depicting a singular pendant-shaped drop or canvas strewn with perfectly round bulbs, each of the oil-based works exhibits a deft approach to shadow and texture. The bloated forms appear to bead on the surface and are imbued with a sense of impermanence: if disturbed by even a small movement, they look as if they could burst or run down the surface.
“Waterdrops” (1979), oil on canvas, 102 x 76 3/4 inches. Image © The Estate of Kim Tschang-Yeul, courtesy of the estate and Almine Rech, photo by Rebecca Fanuele
Gleaming with occasional patches of gold and white, the transparent renderings foster a deeper connection to Taoist principles, in addition to questioning the tension between nature and contemporary life. “The act of painting water drops is to dissolve all things within [these], to return to a transparent state of ‘nothingness,’” Kim said in a statement, noting that his desire was to dissolve the ego. “By returning anger, anxiety, fear, and everything else to ‘emptiness,’ we experience peace and contentment.”
If you’re in London, you can see the first posthumous show Water Drops, which covers Kim’s entire career and features many of the works shown here, at Almine Rech from March 4 to April 10, 2021. Otherwise, head to Artsy to see a larger collection of the artist’s paintings.
“Waterdrop” (1974), oil on canvas, 17 3/4 x 16 1/8 inches. Image © The Estate of Kim Tschang-Yeul, courtesy of the estate and Almine Rech, photo by Rebecca Fanuele
“Waterdrops” (1986), India Ink and oil on canvas, 32 1/2 x 32 1/2 inches. Image © The Estate of Kim Tschang-Yeul, courtesy of the estate and Almine Rech, photo by Rebecca Fanuele
Left: “Waterdrop” (2017), oil on canvas, 46 1/8 x 19 3/4 inches. Image © The Estate of Kim Tschang-Yeul, courtesy of the estate and Almine Rech, photo by Rebecca Fanuele. Right: “Waterdrops” (1996), oil and acrylic on canvas, 21 5/8 x 18 1/8 x 3/4 inches. Image © The Estate of Kim Tschang-Yeul, courtesy of the estate and Almine Rech, photo by Rebecca Fanuele
Detail of “Waterdrops” (1985), oil and Indian ink on canvas, 76 3/4 x 63 3/4 inches. Image via Almine Rech
(2011), oil on canvas, 15 by 17 3/4 inches. Image via Sotheby’s
“Recurrence” (1994-2017), oil and Indian ink on canvas, 35 x 57 1/8 x 7/8 inches. Image © The Estate of Kim Tschang-Yeul, courtesy of the estate and Almine Rech, photo by Matt Kroening
#hyperrealism
#oil painting
#painting
#water
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