The drawings of Amandine Urruty

The highly detailed and beautifully outlined graphite drawings of French artist Amandine Urruty introduce us to bizarre and physically impossible landscapes populated by her fantastical creatures, often represented with their faces hidden behind ghost masks or distorted in such ways to enable hybrid forms between humans and animals, with a visible preference for the juxtaposition with dog features.

The scenes are dynamic and static at the same time, with tiny characters engaged in unknown rituals or busy working and running around the still and sometimes grotesque giants (including some references to familiar cartoons and mythology), who seem to always pose for a picture or a painting with their unsettling grin. The black and white choice gives a dark note to her works, while we also notice interesting geometrical and architectural structures building this whimsical and mesmerizing universe where balloons smile and sausages paint, with eggs worn as fashion accessories and pears popping out of mysterious boxes.

A fun fact about Amandine Urruty is that she “lives and works on her bed”, surrounded by pens, ready at any moment to add another deviant portrait to her cheerful gallery of characters. One thing is certain – we would love to meet her in person and chat about her drawings!