FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Entertainment

A Modern Surrealist Painter Picks Up Where Dalí Left Off

Ships become clouds and towns become cobblestone streets in the magical realist works of Rob Gonsalves.
The Sun Sets Sail. Images by Rob Gonsalves

This article originally appeared on The Creators Project Germany. 

Rob Gonsalves is a 55-year-old Canadian of Portuguese descent who paints scenes that fill in the space somewhere in between everyday activities and hallucinations. His images contain dual representations of reality—with his particular artistry forming at the intersection between fantasy and nonfiction.

At just 12 years old, Gonsalves began acquiring perspective drawing skills and giving rise to imaginary structures on paper. Following a stint in architecture, he dedicated his practice entirely to painting when his work was enthusiastically received at the 1990 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. Working just outside the surrealist realms of Salvador Dalí and Renê Margritte, his syntheses of reality and enigma result in magical realism at its best.

Advertisement

Check out a few works from Rob Gonsalves below:

The Space Between Words

Aspiring Acrobats

The Arboreal Office

Beyond the Reef

For more on Rob Gonsalves, including purchasing information, visit him at Huckleberry Fine Art.

Related:

Photographer Makes Houses Fly in Surreal Photo Series

Samara Golden's Mirrored Bedroom Installation Puts You in the 6th Dimension

Instagrammer Captures Raw Meat Ray-Bans and Other Eatable Collages