Josie Morway, a Providence-based artist, creates large-scale oil paintings that intricately blend elements of fauna and flora with surrealism and photorealism. Her works are often described as “fragmented narratives”, drawing inspiration from everyday snippets of conversation, faded advertisements, and old signage. By using animals as the main characters, Morway explores gestures and expressions that are both familiar and ambiguous, creating a unique storytelling experience.
Morway’s paintings are not just visually striking but also rich in symbolism and emotion. The hyperrealistic details combined with surreal compositions invite us to delve into a world where nature and imagination intertwine. This approach not only highlights the beauty of the natural world but also encourages a deeper reflection on our relationship with it.
I’ve been painting for most of my life, and this is what’s been coming out of me lately. My paintings are often described as ‘fragmented narratives’. I draw inspiration from the bits of word and phrase that bombard us daily in the form of faded ad murals, snippets of overheard conversation, the near-illegible promises of old signage. Stories defined as much by the info they lack as by what they present. Using animals as the main characters in my narratives, I’m able to explore gestures, postures and expressions that are both familiar, universal and still sometimes as ambiguous as those partial verbal messages.
Josie Morway
More info: Website, Instagram (h/t: Booooooom).
