Selene Perez

Selene Perez (b. 1982, Mexico) has created a vast bestiary of strong, graphic drawings of animals. Ranging from seven-legged cats to flocks of geese in flight, Perez makes her creatures with the simplest of marks across an array of media. The influence of printmaking is evident in all of her work. The vivid contrast between dark and light, and fine line and densely black form, are skillfully balanced. Her “ink blot” birds combine bodies made from abstract slashes of feathery ink with thin, carefully drawn feet and necks into figures that blend motion and solidity; while her charcoal silhouettes of various beasts and creatures are compact evocations of form. Perez handles her subjects with a sense of whimsy that softens the stark black and white pieces.

She continues to expand the possibilities of her materials by gradually and purposefully emptying her work of anything that is not essential. She brings this restraint and elegance to her multicolored work as well, where blue elephants mingle with pink cows and chickens with rainbow plumage. Perez has been an artist at Creativity Explored since 2006.