The Cat’s of Ave H

A series of portraits depicting three cats sitting in their favourite spots within the same apartment. I started the first painting in May 2020 after three months of living with friends and their three cats, during a time that felt very uncertain and when an unknown place became what is now my second home. I stared observing the cats and quickly found that each one of them have distinct personalities and seek solace in their own corners of the apartment. Booger loves to drink from the bathtub faucet and has claimed the bathroom as her personal territory. Lily, who is blind, likes to hover near the kitchen and naps next to the heater. Boo, who often gets bullied by the other two for playing too enthusiastically, prefers to nap behind the desk where he is sandwich between house plants.

These cats have taught me a lot about interacting with spaces as well as seeking refuge in solitude and painting this series has allowed me to further explore that.

The first two paintings are acrylic on bristol, the last painting was done on a water damaged record with acrylic paint. All the paintings are displayed in the locations they depict, immortalising the cats and giving the viewer a glimpse into their relationship with the space.