→ Cats! Cats! - Tribambuka

While being at the Casa Tagumerche residency in 2021 I visited a local home with an astonishing amount of cats, mostly black. I had my sketchbook with me and started draing them, and then couldn't stop, and ended up having a pile of cats portraits in all kind of techniques, pencil, inks, pastel, monotype and even cut out.

The strangest thing was that I didn't even like them. And also I was feeling a bit stuck creatively. And in some weird way my aversion to these cats triggered the creative process and led to a lot of ideas and projects. When I got back to London I ened up doing a series of prints and painings based on my sketches from La Gomera.

In this series I've tried to delve into their world, taking a closer look at creatures that exude unapologetic arrogance and an unwavering sense of self. The feline subjects, seemingly indifferent to expectations and desires, challenged me to reconsider the boundaries imposed upon them and the profound independence they embody. I wanted to explore the intersection between arrogance, attitude, and autonomy, and provoke introspection and admiration for the enigmatic world of cats, allowing observers to appreciate the harmonious chaos of their existence and, in turn, find inspiration for their own.

I've tried to capture the essence of these cats in a visual language that mirrors their complexity, drawing inspiration from the bold geometric forms of analytical cubism and the revolutionary spirit of Russian avant-garde art. Just as cubism shattered conventional perspectives, allowing observers to see beyond the surface, these paintings unveil the multifaceted nature of these feline personalities.

In a world that often seeks to domesticate and categorize, these paintings challenge observers to embrace the spirit of independence and self-determination, not just in feline models but within themselves. Viewers are encouraged to question the boundaries that define them and to celebrate the beauty of asserting their own identities, just as these cats do.