Surrealism has always fascinated me in ways that other styles of art don't even come close to. There's a level of intrigue, of deep intrusive thoughts radiating through the canvas, and most fascinatingly, often unusual imagery that showcases the artist's most authentic knack for creativity.
Interestingly, the Surrealist movement is thought to have begun in 1924 when poet André Breton published Manifesto of Surrealism, a tome inspired by Sigmund Freud's theories and writings.
Then, throughout the 1920s, artists began visually dissecting Surrealism in ways previously thought of as unconventional. The movement seemed to have a snowball effect after Breton's manifesto and the first Surrealism exhibition in 1925 at the Galerie Pierre in Paris titled "La Peinture Surréaliste."
Unlike Renaissance art or Neoclassicism, Surrealism has a captivating way of remaining timeless and as intriguing as always. Today we've curated a list of the top five surrealist artists you should follow on Instagram. Intriguing is an understatement for most of their work, and all will undoubtedly leave you inspired.
Zeren Badar | @z_captures
Originally from Turkey and currently living in New York City, Zeren Badar is an artist with unbelievable talent. His pieces are so intriguing that the 889 posts on his Instagram feed don't feel like enough. Not only does he continuously post on his account, but Badar's work has been exhibited from The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO, to Aperture Foundation in New York.
One of my favorite pieces that he's created is titled "Sweet & Soft," and it showcases a portrait mostly hidden behind mini pastel marshmallows; there's something about this particular piece that's both charming and peculiar, and I love the mystery of it. That's what I enjoy about most of his work; it leaves you feeling both delighted and intrigued simultaneously.
Murat Yıldırım | @muartive
Murat Yıldırım is an artist based in Turkey who creates art that reels you in and leaves you wanting more, more, and more. I first discovered his pieces through his furry renditions of famous paintings, titled fittingly as "Furry Girl with a Pearl Earring," "Fury Night," "Fury Lisa," and so on. These furry "paintings," however, are only a tiny blurb of his range of work. The thing about Murat is that he's a surrealist renaissance man; everything from 3D animations, sculptures, or landscape renderings, each of his pieces is wonderfully mesmerizing.
Lena Krashevka | @krashevka
Ever since I was little, I've been fascinated by bubble wrap. Sure, it's mesmerizing to pop continuously, but the repetitiveness, the texture, the transparency, there's something about it that seems purely artistic. So when I first saw Lena Krashevka's bubble warp pieces, I was engulfed in her work. But the fascination doesn't stop there; each of her pieces is emotional, sensual, and nuanced. Scroll through Krashevka's feed, and you'll quickly discover this on your own.
Dasha Pears | @dashapears.art
Since beginning in the art world in 2010, Dasha Pears' art focuses on self-discovery and a dream-like aesthetic. Since her start, she's had her work featured in exhibitions worldwide, from France to Poland to Israel, and has been awarded a gold medal from the Photographic Society of America.
On her website, she states, "My art is influenced by classical painting, post-impressionism, surrealism, as well as contemporary and modern visual art. At the same time, I constantly source inspiration from scientific works on psychology and neuroscience."
Her works come filled with calming colors on her Instagram feed, but the subjects evoke deeper feelings and thoughts about life, living, and humanistic nature. Indeed an original and refreshing find.
Evgeniy Shvets | @bizarremetaphysics
Visual artist, collage maker, and photographer are a few words to describe the surrealist visionary that is Evgeniy Shvets. Each of the 100+ images on this account will make you feel intensely chaotic, enthusiastic, suspicious, and sometimes all at once. Evgeniy's feed is that each of the posts fits into a broader color palette, muted reds, yellows, turquoise hues often make pops, but black and white imagery seems to be the norm. One of the most remarkable things about this Instagram feed is that the posts feel complete individually. Still, when viewed as a collection, they somehow flawlessly work together and play off of each emotion involved. Give this feed a follow if you want to feel something.
