A parrot locked in a cage that is too small, jellyfish floating above fungi and ferns, and a spotted octopus resting as the center of a blooming bouquet are some of the surreal scenes in the work of Martin Wittfooth. The artist is known for his enigmatic paintings that merge flora and fauna to reflect the interconnectedness and endurance of nature.
Wittfooth currently splits his time between Savannah and Brockville, although he plans to permanently move to the latter this year. Before preparing for a solo exhibition in the spring of 2027 with Hashimoto Contemporary, the artist is carrying out several larger commissions.
He likes the balance between larger oeuvres and unique pieces: “A unified field of concepts and vibrations, where all the pieces in an exhibition have a kind of similar dialogue with each other, and when the dust settles between shows, to have unique works that I can focus on, where I can slow down for a moment and let the new ideas for the next show emerge,” he says.
Together with Yuko Shimizu, Wittfooth will also be a mentor during the unique Quarantine residency in April. This is his third time participating in the program, and it’s one that says a lot about the way he thinks about connection. He is always impressed by “how quickly bonds form between the students, between the mentors, between the students and the mentors, and with the whole crew that runs the show,” he says, adding:
Much emphasis has been placed on the idea that community is important – as a species we have valued this in various ways for as long as we have existed – but for artists this is often a struggle to develop and maintain, given the isolating nature of the way we work. It’s also something that seems to have become more murkier and confused in this age of social media more broadly, with face-to-face contact being replaced by virtual interactions and projection of virtual selves – methods of communication that I personally feel lack the essential ingredient of connection.
You can find out more about the program at Colossal and explore Wittfooth’s work on his website And Instagram.
