While Muhammad Fatchurofi’s compositions instill a sense of energy through his use of bold color palettes and frenetic, coarse textures, his subjects often evoke serene body language, harmony, and a quiet stillness.

This complementary nature potently emerges from Fatchurofi’s practice in not only a formal sense—with the habitual pairing of contrasting colors—but also an expressive sense, as his familiar motifs elicit an air of mindfulness. As a result, a strong sense of balance continues to evolve in the Semarang, Indonesia-based artist’s newer works.

Lately, Fatchurofi has been venturing into the world of acrylic and canvas, translating his skills in digital illustration into a more tactile practice. “It’s been a fun activity for me working with hands and (a) traditional medium,” the artist explains. He has also shared that he’s been inspired to take a step toward painting thanks to process videos shared by Taiwanese-American artist James Jean on Instagram.

After accomplishing his first solo exhibition last year, the artist is currently working on more paintings in the hopes of discovering new artistic directions and more exhibitions. Find more work on his website and store, and follow along on Instagram for updates.

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From postage stamps to jetliner specifications to items he packed for the journey, José Naranja’s sketchbooks (previously) capture minute details of numerous international trips. “I’m lost in the intricate details, as always,” he tells Colossal. Everything from currency to noodle varieties to film references make their way into small books brimming with travel ephemera and observations.

Naranja is currently working on a thicker book than he has in the past, which is taking more time to fill, along with an illustrated card project called 2050, which merges science, tech events, and his signature “beauty of note-taking” aesthetic. The artist has also reproduced some of his sketches in The Nautilus Manuscript, a small batch-printed, hand-bound edition available for sale in his shop. Follow updates on the artist’s Instagram.

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Hiragana is one of three components of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana and kanji. As a phonetic syllabary, each of the 46 characters represents a sound, and for the most part, each sound in the Japanese language—known specifically as mora—corresponds to one character.

For illustrator and fiber artist Tomoko Kubo, the lettering system sparked an ongoing series of embroideries that also function as playful linguistic learning tools.

Kubo embeds imagery into the form of each character. Pictured above, for example, is the character う, which is used for the syllable “u.” The artist’s composition visualizes words that begin with that character: a horse (うま), a rabbit (うさぎ), and a beach (うみべ).

Kubo began the series after participating in an exhibition in late 2021 in which a group of artists collectively created a picture book, with each person responsible for designing one page. “I embroidered the hiragana character ‘y’ (よ), and it turned out beautifully,” Kubo tells Colossal. “That experience sparked the idea to start embroidering hiragana characters.”

Starting with syllables from her own name, the first characters the artist embroidered were “to” (と) and “mo” (も). Kubo was spurred by an overwhelmingly positive reception on social media, and she plans to complete the entire hiragana series between other illustration and craft projects.

Find more on Kubo’s website. (via Spoon & Tamago)

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On candy-colored paper, Rhea Mack draws a world in which all misfits are welcome. The Massachusetts-based artist lovingly renders curious characters with three heads, flowers growing from their palms, or a penchant for plump, strawberry hats.

Mack has a soft spot for these strange oddballs who develop organically, often springing from her Sunday morning sessions seemingly on their own accord. “I usually start drawing, and they just kind of develop over a few hours. I sometimes have a certain feeling or pose in mind, but mostly I am just making it up as I go,” she says.

This intuitive, accommodating attitude influences much of her process, including the decision to draw on pink paper simply “because it made sense,” she says. Mack chooses other materials similarly. “The colored pencil pinks I use in my drawings are very buttery and just feel nice to draw with,” she adds.

As if emerging from a favorite fairytale—creating a children’s book is on Mack’s mind—the drawings twist common plants and animals like dogs and daisies into surreal fantasies. Each is packed with small moments of intrigue and playful patterns like stripes and dots.

In one work, for example, a full human skeleton and dozens of single eyes float from a figure’s gaze, while a pink pup leaps overhead. Another features a quintet bound by a rainbow dress, their bulbous, beige coifs fused together like the clouds above.

Mack’s solo exhibition Massachusetts Dreaming opens next week at Kyst Gallery in Dragor, Denmark, and is on view through May 8. Find prints in her shop, and follow her work on Instagram. (via WePresent)

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In his ongoing “quest to articulate the ineffable,” Arizona-based artist Daniel Martin Diaz (previously) creates large-scale works that merge metaphysical, scientific, and technological phenomena into vibrant geometric compositions.

Diaz’s current solo exhibition, UNIVERSAL CODES at the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science, and Art, presents recent work drawing on a wide range of influences, from Mexican religious iconography and arcane religious sigils to Early Netherlandish painters and Gothic decorative motifs.

Diaz’s work often investigates concepts of death and religion “as he seeks to pose questions but not answer them,” says an exhibition statement. Juxtaposing esoteric symbols and messages with scientific diagrams and spiritual iconography, the artist explores the surreality of cosmic forces.

UNIVERSAL CODES continues through April 27 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Find more on Diaz’s Instagram, and peruse a range of prints, apparel, and home accessories in his shop.

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Every year, Lili Arnold’s mother would block-print holiday cards to send to family and friends. When she was old enough to wield a carving tool, Arnold began to make her own, too. But it wasn’t until college, when she took an Intro to Printmaking class, that she became enthralled with the practice’s myriad methods.

Block printing specifically captured Arnold’s attention because of its relatively simple components and technique—no giant presses required. The block can expand in scale, incorporate different colors, or be layered with numerous pressings.

“I think what I love most about the process is seeing my first print after so many hours of sketching, planning, carving, and troubleshooting,” Arnold tells Colossal. “There’s a lot of thought and time invested in the steps before the actual print becomes real, so when I see that first reveal, it’s both terrifying and thrilling.”

Arnold’s compositions often revolve around natural subjects, especially botanicals like cacti and tropical flowers. She is fascinated by the environment’s infinite interaction of colors, textures, patterns, and symmetry.

“There’s such vast diversity of plant life out there, each ecosystem encapsulating unique details and wonders,” she says. “We as artists and botanical patrons have the pleasure of translating and expressing our appreciation of this beauty through our artwork, writing, gardening, exploring, and beyond.”

Follow updates on Arnold’s Instagram, and browse prints available for purchase in her shop.

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Treading the boundary between cuteness and discomfort—innocence and harm—South Korean artist Jinjoo Jo’s illustrations express the tenuous relationship humans conjure with nature and a personal response to a widely publicized tragedy.

Blue Anger, a series Jo began in 2020, portrays young girls interacting with insects, which are unsettlingly large and imposing. “I have always loved nature, but in this series, I chose to use insects as a metaphor for predators,” she says. “The young girls in the illustrations stare straight ahead as insects endlessly swarm around them. At times, I see myself as a passive witness to their suffering; at other times, I step into the artwork and become one of them.”

Most of the works seen here belong to Blue Anger, which continues to evolve. Rendered in black, white, and a cerulean blue hue, the first piece was made in direct response to the so-caled Nth Room case, a horrific cybersex crime that took place between 2018 and 2020. “At the time, I was overwhelmed by anger and despair,” the artist tells Colossal. “The case involved the sexual exploitation of at least 70 underage victims, who were subjected to abuse both online and offline.”

Blue Anger serves as a way to process the energy-draining emotion, in a sense creating a kind of tribute to the young people who were victimized. Recent works diverge from the theme of insect-as-predator, reverting control to the young girls who instead commune in a pond with a larger-than-life moth or coexist in an illuminated space with fluttering insects drawn to the light.

Jo primarily employs colored pencils and graphite, occasionally incorporating black ballpoint pens for darker details. She then scans her drawings in order to complete them digitally using Procreate and Photoshop.

Jo has been working for several years on a graphic novel related to ongoing scientific research, which is currently in pre-production. She has also been working on an essay detailing her experiences of pregnancy, which she hopes to eventually compile into a small book. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

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As the saying goes, if one knows very little about something, their knowledge could fit on the back of a postage stamp. But for tattoo artist Ash Aurich, the minuscule format provides a readymade canvas and frame ripe for experimentation, intrigue, and beauty.

Using a fine line technique with delicate shading, Aurich outlines the unmistakable scalloped edges of the ubiquitous, tiny adhesives, filling rectangular compositions with Renaissance-inspired romantic and religious figures.

A deep appreciation for iconic artworks inspired Aurich to create tiny odes to art history. “I wanted to be able to capture the essence of these masterpieces in a unique and engaging way,” she tells Colossal. “Having the opportunity to tattoo these designs on others who appreciate art is a rewarding experience.”

Aurich’s preferred subject matter is people, especially the dramatic and often symbolic figures in art historical masterworks by the likes of Johannes Vermeer or Caravaggio. “The attention to detail, use of light and shadow, and mastery of human anatomy create stunning, lifelike representations that translate beautifully into tattoos,” the artist says. She shares that it’s important for the emotions and narratives of each portrait to resonate with the wearer, especially at their small scale.

Currently in residency at Atelier Eva, Aurich has opened her books for March and April in New York City. The tattoos seen here are all flash designs, but she creates custom compositions, too. See more on Instagram.

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Vibrant contrasts, eye-opening patterns, and mischievous creatures are just a few of the characteristics of Brazilian artist Amanda Lobos’ beguiling scenes. Based in Vila Velha, about an eight-hour drive up the coast from Rio de Janeiro, Lobos works extensively across a range of mediums, from graphic and product design to murals and public installations.

A large-scale inflatable work titled “Ventura” was installed last year on the top of a building in the city of Belo Horizonte. Lobos calls upon the philosophy of Indigenous Brazilian environmentalist and philosopher Ailton Krenak, who posits that humankind should live in harmony with nature rather than trying to control it.

Lobos’ all-seeing “Ventura,” which translates to “fortune,” perches on a corner of a tall building and oversees its domain, double-faced with two eyes on each side and one of its legs curled up casually on the ledge.

This work “is about the agony and dilemma of returning a star to the sky,” Lobos says in a statement, describing “Ventura” as “condemned to the duality of the fantastic and the real.”

Much of the artist’s work is intentionally left open to interpretation. “I believe that what I want to communicate to viewers is already embedded in my work visually, allowing them to interpret it however they wish—that’s the beauty of it!” Lobos tells Colossal. “I don’t like to be too literal or overly serious with my concepts; I enjoy the creative process and the freedom it gives me.”

In vivid murals, Lobos applies a similar juxtaposition of mystery and play, as coy characters dance within colorful panels or long walls illuminate the joys of learning. An expansive mural at a school in the Jardim Limoeiro neighborhood of Serra celebrates science, art, curiosity, and play.

“My favorite thing about painting murals—besides seeing them come to life on a large scale from an initial sketch on paper or a 30-centimeter canvas—is the process itself,” Lobos tells Colossal. She adds:

Executing the piece and watching it unfold is truly special. The feeling of applying paint with no “Ctrl+Z” is humbling, and working on such a large surface teaches you to embrace mistakes and adapt in new ways. Every wall is a fresh learning experience.

Lobos is soon heading to Mexico to paint her first mural outside of Brazil looking forward to collaborating with two other artists on a pair of murals for the Movimento Cidade festival in August.

We’ve shared a handful of public art projects here, but you can head over to Behance or Instagram to see a wide range of the designer’s vibrant product collaborations and commissions.

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Accompanied by delicate insects and social betta fish, the cats in Tùng Nâm’s illustrations (previously) alternate between curiosity, serenity, friskiness, and determination. The artist portrays a diversity of feline natures, merging their likenesses with flowers, waves, foliage, and clouds.

Nâm’s characters are playfully anthropomorphized, donning patterned kimonos and hair ornaments. The series emerged organically from practice sketches of flowers in the ukiyo-e style.

“I felt like it was missing something, so I tried to add a cat as the protagonist,” Nâm tells Colossal. “Somehow it still doesn’t feel right, so I think of adding a companion—fishes, butterfly, dragonfly—like they were encountering each other in a specific moment.” Fittingly, he called the series An encounter.

An accompanying collection, A Floating World, takes further inspiration from the genre, directly referencing the Japanese word ukiyo. The term describes a hedonistic lifestyle in Edo—now called Tokyo—in the 1600s, spawning a style of art that captured the mood and interests of the period. Famed artists like Hokusai or Hiroshige focused on woodblock printing and painting to represent scenes from history, folk tales, kabuki actors, flora and fauna, landscapes, and more.

For Nâm, ukiyo-e provides the starting point for exploring a range of subject matter. He’s currently exploring ideas for further illustrations that incorporate different animals and visual cultures.

Find more on the artist’s Behance and Instagram.

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