There’s a clear surrealist edge to Cat Finnie’s illustrations: woman portraits that blend into their natural surroundings, a face formed out of floating geometric shapes. There’s mystery to be found here, but also an exciting opportunity for creative interpretation.
“I think that, for me, being an illustrator is as much about creating content that’s useful or informative or connects with other people as it is about making something that’s meaningful to me,” said Finnie in an interview with Sense of Creativity. “I always try to find a way to personally connect with a piece I’m working on, so that I can put some unique perspective into it, even if it’s not obvious to others in the final illustration.”
“I’m very drawn to Surrealism in particular, both in art and in literature, and I think that has a strong influence in my work,” she adds, mentioning icons like René Magritte, Haruki Murakami, and Jorge Luis Borges as sources of inspiration.
“Where it’s appropriate – e.g, illustrating more conceptual pieces – I always try to dig down into the unconscious aspect of the subject I’m illustrating and get a feeling for what is under the surface, the undercurrent of an article,” she explains. Indeed, her work invites you to uncover its hidden symbols. Or at least, attempt to…
