Another Cat Art Show Is Coming to L.A.

In 2014, the first-ever Cat Art Show Los Angeles brought in well-known artists like Tracey Emin to depict the wonders of the feline form. Two years later, the event is back and even more a-meow-zing than ever.

"We have asked each artist the basic question, what is the true meaning of cat for you—ally, domestic partner, enemy, frenemy, allergic reaction, or guru?” curator Susan Michals explains in a press release for Cat Art Show LA 2: The Sequel.

The artists' responses will be on display at Think Tank Gallery in downtown Los Angeles starting on March 24, with a portion of the proceeds going to Kitten Rescue. The collection will include creations by painter Mark Ryden, tattoo artist Kat Von D, illustrator Travis Lampe, and more. Michals describes the show as “a contemporary examination of the impact of cats in our lives.”

The cat makes for a particularly inspiring artistic prompt, as the first exhibition showed. Cats and humans have lived side by side for at least 9000 years, but they are not quite as domesticated as those other companion animals, dogs. Cats “seem to be constantly reevaluating the merits of our relationship, as well as their role in domestic life,” as writer Ferris Jabr observed in The New Yorker last year. Even the most dedicated cat owners sometimes doubt whether their feline pals return their affections. This rogue independence is incredibly alluring—so much so that some cat owners make upwards of six figures turning their pets into well-known personalities and memes.

The works in Cat Art Show range from tongue-in-cheek illustrations to somber photographs to intricate paintings. Witness the beauty of some serious cat art below.

"Sakura Night," Midori Furuhashi

“Gita and Patrick,” James Seward

“Jump,” Leslie Kirshhoff

"Night Out," Marc Dennis

"The Cucumber Incident," Jason Edward Davis

All images courtesy Think Tank Gallery