These Surreal Portraits Show How “Wild” The New York Subway Is

In 2002 Matthew Grabelsky graduated from Rice University with a BA in Art and Art History and a BS in Astrophysics. "Science taught me how to observe the world, and art has allowed me to express my relationship to it. Since 2006, I have focused on creating paintings that combine the physical world that people see every day with imagery from mythology and dreams," he wrote on his Saatchi Art profile.

The artist from New York creates surreal paintings, combining human bodies with the heads of animals. "My work is not intended to be viewed as a fantasy or as allegory, but rather as a blend of everyday experiences and the subconscious. My paintings are enigmatic, and they create dreamlike worlds that invite viewers to form their own interpretations of the imagery presented." Artist's works look extremely realistic and can be confused with digital art. "I paint in a highly realistic manner, derived from my studies of 19th-century French Academic painters, and I use this visual language to craft modern narratives."

Matthew Grabelsky adds these unique surreal animal-human hybrids to modern urban settings, like trains, gritty alleyways, and cosmopolitan cityscapes. The author says, that he likes to "introduce a twist to create a mix of rational and irrational elements."

"My work is often humorous, and it straddles the divide between the serious and the bizarre."

More info: grabelsky.com | Instagram (h/t: Saatchi Art)