We're excited to welcome Swiftmantis, a realism artist from the Manawatu, specialising in street art, tattoo and illustration. His work predominantly centres around animal-realism, and in recent years has begun focussing on animal portraiture and storytelling.
Swiftmantis created the ‘Stray Stories’ series, painting large scale portraits of stray cats who found their forever-homes in interesting places.
Though most of his murals reside in the North Island, in 2021 he painted a collaborative mural with Sean Duffell in the heart of Blenheim, raising awareness for the Marlborough Falcon Conservation Trust (MFCT). The mural featured a portrait of a critically injured Karearea (NZ Falcon) called Kowhai, whose story of rescue, revival and release epitomised the importance of the charity’s hard work.
Blog lead image - Swiftmantis at work in Taupo, New Zealand.
Image below - Squishee the Alley Cat, by Swiftmantis, as part of Street Prints Papaioea 2020, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Image credits: Swiftmantis
