The Supernatural Veils El Gato Chimney’s Magical Paintings of Adorned Animals

Flowers and a cluster of birdhouses envelop a bird with fabric streaming from its tail. A scissors and stove float in the sky

“Home Sweet Home” (2021), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 100 x 70 centimeters. All images © El Gato Chimney, courtesy of Tory Folliard Gallery, William Baczek Fine Arts, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea, and Vision West Contemporary, shared with permission

Strips of vibrantly patterned fabrics, entwined red thread, and everyday objects floating in the sky are a few of the recurring motifs within El Gato Chimney’s works. The Milan-based artist has a surreal vision tinged with metaphysics, spirituality, and myth that he layers into scenes replete with unexpected details: clusters of birdhouses and floral embellishments envelop a bird’s upper body like a garment, a forlorn mule clutches a gold staph while yellow frogs climb its torso and legs, and a detached arm emerges from a cloud grasping an angry snake. Each piece marries the natural world with the occult and magical, firmly placing recognizable subjects and objects within the supernatural realm.

Working in vivid watercolor and gouache, El Gato Chimney is drawn to animal symbolism across folk traditions and cultures, whether it be European mountain regions, the Himalayas, or areas in Japan. “It’s incredible to discover how many similarities there are between these three areas, especially in relation to animals and their symbolism,” he says. “I use birds more than other animals because birds are the animals with more symbolism and magic power for almost all cultures.”

El Gato Chimney currently has works included in the group exhibition Birds Rising at Brassworks Gallery in Portland, with upcoming shows planned at Visions West Contemporary in Bozeman and Denver and at Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea in Milan. Find more of the artist’s work on his site and Instagram.

A donkey wearing a shawl and holding a gold staph

“The World” (2023), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 140 x 100 centimeters

Two large, yellow-billed birds rest on a branch with fabric streaming from their tails. A hand emerges from a cloud holding a snake

“Unexpected Choice” (2022), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

on left: an owl that is half tree has leaves for feathers. its feathers are smoking as if on fire. on right: A gray and white bird with fabric on its tail looks up at a hand emerging from a cloud with a heart

Left: “The Age Of The Trees” (2022), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 100 x 70 centimeters. Right: “Lost And Found” (2021), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 50 x 70 centimeters

A heron perches on a branch with a basket attached to its body and a reptile on its nose

“Dangerous Worlds” (2021), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

a white leopard holds bells on its body, which is half like a ghost, as it walks a snowy landscape

“Ghost of Himalaya” (2023), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 98 x 153 centimeters

Two birds rest on a branch with smaller red birds surrounding them. A cluster of rabbits floats in the sky

“Trinity” (2023), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

Two owls with deep black faces are entwined with red threads. A seaside landscape and town is in the area to the left

“Fuochi Fatui” (2023), watercolor and gouache on cotton paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

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