If you’re a fan of Star Wars, these Chris Dennis illustrations may remind you of Admiral Ackbar. Similarly to the sci-fi franchise, Dennis imagined a group of humanoids that have fish heads where their normal craniums should be. This resulted in this idiosyncratic collection of somber paintings depicting people doing everyday activities while looking totally bizarre.
Curiously, Chris Dennis attaches the fish heads in his work sideways, allowing one of the aquatic being’s eyes to face forward, but also making its second eye face everything behind it. Visually, it’s extremely impactful to see his otherworldly creatures designed in this manner, but I can’t help thinking the fishes would be overwhelmed with ocular data.
Chris Dennis’ abstract artistry has graced galleries across the world, including New Zealand, Germany, the United States and his native U.K.
Fish-Faced Humanoid Paintings
Chris Dennis Renders People with Aquatic Creature Heads
Trend Themes
1. Aquatic-themed Artistry - There is an opportunity to create more art that blends aquatic themes with everyday life and contemporary styles.
2. Hybrid Creature Imagery - There is an opportunity to explore hybrid creatures that mix aquatic and human characteristics in art, design and even brand imagery.
3. Sideways Design - There is an opportunity to subvert popular design conventions by positioning features in unexpected ways.
Industry Implications
1. Contemporary Art Galleries - Contemporary art galleries can showcase and promote aquatic-themed art in their collections, and possibly increase the demand for such works and new artists.
2. Branding and Advertising - Brands can incorporate aquatic creatures into their branding and advertising, creating unique and memorable visuals that stand out from competitors.
3. Art and Design Education - Art and design educational institutions can incorporate hybrid creature imagery to challenge students to think out of the box and to create unique designs.