Seth Chwast: Mythic Works

March 17 to June 3, 2012
Location: Fawick Gallery

Seth Chwast is a 29-year-old artist whose work has been shown in the Galapagos Islands, The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, Curaçao and the Museum of Modern Art of the Ukraine. Diagnosed with autism at age 2, Chwast took his first art class at 20. At 23, he was featured on the Today show as an artist.

Since 2006, Chwast has produced a large body of paintings, drawings, and sculptures depicting mythological creatures. These works were initially inspired by his love of roller coasters, and specifically his excitement over the announcement of a new ride at Busch Gardens called the Griffon. In response, Chwast read everything he could about griffins, mythical creatures with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Following his research, the artist began a series of large colorful paintings of griffins. In keeping with the mythological theme, the series grew to include the winged horse Pegasus of Greek lore.

In 2008, Chwast was invited to show these works at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History as a companion to the international traveling exhibition Mythic Creatures. He spent the next 3 years depicting hippocampus, dragons, chupacabra, mermaids and unicorns in whimsical paintings, drawings and sculptures. The Museum's exhibition will comprise 50 works, including 20 paintings, 17 sculptures and 13 works on paper. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a breathtaking 21-foot-long mural comprised of seven individual panels featuring a fantastical scene of legendary creatures and landscapes.

Earlier this year, Chwast and his mother, Debra, published their first book, An Unexpected Life: A Mother and Son's Story of Love, Determination, Autism and Art. The book includes many examples of works from this exhibition. Chwast is honored to present his work at his beloved Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

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