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Cats have a talent for making perfectly ordinary moments feel slightly unpredictable. A quiet room, a carefully arranged table, or an otherwise polished still life can change completely when a paw appears from nowhere or a pair of yellow eyes emerges from behind a curtain. That tension between the familiar and the strange sits at the heart of London-based artist Minyoung Kim’s paintings, where black cats frequently appear as mysterious, mischievous characters.

Kim’s fascination with cats comes partly from their contradictions: they are familiar and seemingly everywhere, yet can remain strangely unreadable. In her work, they are rarely just decorative subjects. A cat might reach for something it should not, hide behind an object, interrupt an otherwise composed scene, or appear only as a paw, tail, shadow, or pair of eyes

More info: minyoungkimwork.com | Instagram

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#1

Unwelcome Guest

A black cat peeks through a window above a green door, a shadowy hand reaching for the doorknob, creating a surreal moment.

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gezgin avatar
Janissary35680
Janissary35680
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Premium 1 month ago

The reference is to the silent movie Nosferatu (1922).

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That playful sense of disruption runs through Kim’s wider approach to painting. She combines meticulous technique with absurd compositions, unexpected changes of scale, unusual creatures, and details that reward a closer look. Her recent work also draws on the visual language of European still-life painting, particularly its treatment of light, liquids, reflections, and optical illusion. Alongside her recurring feline imagery, these elements create paintings that can appear calm and beautifully composed at first, only to reveal something much stranger underneath.

Now, take a closer look at Minyoung Kim’s quirky cat paintings and surreal still lifes, where a seemingly innocent scene can hide a mischievous paw, an unsettling gaze, or one wonderfully strange detail.
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    #2

    Sweating Egg

    A surreal image of bright yellow cat eyes in the dark, watching a perfectly placed egg in a silver egg cup.

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    14points
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    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    This artist really understands reflection and light refraction.

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    #3

    Behind The Veil

    A black cat peeks from behind a blue curtain, gazing at a whole fish on a plate, portraying surreal moments.

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    #4

    Chopped Melon

    A black cat peeking from a cantaloupe slice on a blue cloth with a knife, showcasing a surreal moment.

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    14points
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    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Excellent use of colour.

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    #5

    Cherries With Cat

    A black cat stares intently at spilled cherries and ants on a wooden floor, a surreal moment of curiosity.

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    Final score:
    13points
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    #6

    Love Hurts

    A black cat with sharp claws rests on a woman's shoulder, leaving scratches in a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    12points
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    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Ouch.

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    #7

    Cat In Yolk

    A black cat with yellow eyes emerging from a cracked egg into a frying pan with an egg, creating a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    11points
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    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    I love the egg dripping.

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    #8

    The Bite

    A black cat with glowing eyes peeks from behind a bowl of surreal fruit, including a bitten pear.

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    10points
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    hea_c avatar
    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    This is so good. Really inspiring to try painting again and studying colour theory.

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    #9

    Cat Moth

    A black cat with delicate insect-like wings rests on a giant green leaf, creating a surreal moment.

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    10points
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    #10

    Orange Huntness

    A black cat's paw with claws holding a dew-kissed orange, a surreal moment in an orange grove.

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    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Right out of a No Doubt music video. "You and me, we used to be together. Everyday together, always..."

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    #11

    Swirling Tale

    A black cat's tail and paw create a surreal whirlpool in blue water, with droplets falling.

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    Final score:
    9points
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    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Noooooo! Kitty!

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    #12

    Milky Ghost

    A black cat with yellow eyes lies beside a spill of milk, reflecting a surreal moment on the tiled floor.

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    hea_c avatar
    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Such great detail depicting viscosity and semi translucency.

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    #13

    Night Willow

    A black cat hides among the weeping willow branches over a stream with swimming fish in a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    9points
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    multanocte avatar
    Multa Nocte (she/her 8647)
    Multa Nocte (she/her 8647)
    Community Member
    Premium     1 month ago

    I love this one!

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    #14

    The Pot

    A black cat sits on a windowsill, illuminated by a warm light, watching a snake on the ledge, in a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    8points
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    #15

    Between Olives

    A hand with red nail polish drops an olive onto a plate of olives, a small black cat peeks from olives for surreal moments.

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    Final score:
    8points
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    hea_c avatar
    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    People, including I, tend to go for the pure white to do shine lines and spots, but you can see it's not pure white if you want to go realistic.

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    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Add us on Google

    #16

    Cat Apartment

    A black cat peeking from a window ledge in a multi-story building with green-lit windows, creating a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    8points
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    multanocte avatar
    Multa Nocte (she/her 8647)
    Multa Nocte (she/her 8647)
    Community Member
    Premium     1 month ago

    The cat is laughing as someone is falling. :-)

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    #17

    Cat Sock

    A pair of legs in green sneakers and socks with black cats visible, laying on a tiled floor, creating a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    8points
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    romanarendt avatar
    Roman Arendt
    Roman Arendt
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Good luck scraping tissue from under its claws to nail it in court! You'll probably be next...

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    #18

    Reflector

    A black cat reaching out from a running faucet, a surreal moment with a cat in the bathroom.

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    Final score:
    8points
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    #19

    Condensed Gaze

    A black cat with blue eyes and sharp claws presses against a wet, tiled shower door, a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    7points
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    #20

    Drowning House

    A black cat stands on the roof of a house submerged in dark, wavy water, creating a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    7points
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    hea_c avatar
    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Love the waves.

    1
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    #21

    The Jar

    A black cat's paw holds two pink flowers next to a surreal teapot with eyes, floating in water.

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    Final score:
    6points
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    hea_c avatar
    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    I love this.

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    #22

    Sole Wave

    A black cat in a boat, riding a giant wave with an orange sun, a surreal moment on the sea.

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    Final score:
    6points
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    hea_c avatar
    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Oh wow. This is so cool.

    1
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    #23

    Summer Reverie

    A black cat's paw stretches towards a surreal watermelon with a single slice removed, next to blue fabric.

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    Final score:
    5points
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    #24

    Big Fish

    A large blue fish with a yellow eye peeks from behind curtains and a red cloth, creating a surreal moment.

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    hea_c avatar
    StrangeOne
    StrangeOne
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    The cat is waiting under the table with it's eyes closed.

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    #25

    Under Cloth

    A black cat peeking from a napkin with green eyes, creating a surreal moment in a kitchen setting.

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    Final score:
    5points
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    #26

    Hidden Witness

    A surreal moment with a black cat peeking from beneath a pink tablecloth, beside a dripping candle, fish bones, and cherries.

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    Final score:
    4points
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    #27

    Nocturnal Shell

    A black cat with glowing yellow eyes peers from a spiral shell in a surreal moment under a moonlit sky.

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    Final score:
    4points
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    bennicholls avatar
    Ben Nicholls
    Ben Nicholls
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    Super cool!

    1
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    #28

    Peeping

    A black cat's yellow eyes peeking from a dark opening in an ivy-covered brick wall, a surreal moment.

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    Final score:
    4points
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    #29

    Chestnut Bur

    A surreal moment captured by a green, spiky creature with cat-like eyes nestled among green leaves on a branch.

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    Final score:
    3points
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    #30

    Negotiation

    A surreal moment with monster paws and shoes under a table, a knife dripping from above on a checkered floor.

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    Final score:
    3points
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