Not all art is made for humans.

Animals have often been used as symbols and metaphors in art, but rarely do we get to see the world through the objective view of the inhuman. Through bold colors, movement, and emotion, I capture moments of intensity and suspense through the body language of animals. Drawing creatures has always come naturally to me, in direct contrast to the confusion I often feel when I try to understand people and the way they behave. In my paintings and drawings, the animal body is both a powerful tool and a deeply personal identity that is free from the weight of human expectations. Rendered with both sharp angles and soft curves, my creatures are abstracted enough that they cannot be identified as any one species, thwarting the human need to categorize. At times they twist and lurch, celebrating the freedom of moving their bodies in protest of the human learned-behavior of sitting still and quiet. In others they are calm, curious, and at home in the world they were born in that humans often reject. However, in my struggle with conforming to human life, many of my creatures are trapped, caged, or wounded, and out of fear they react with violent instinct.

When observing my art, I challenge the viewer to not anthropomorphize animals and instead meet them at their own level, as if learning a new language. They must unlearn the rules imposed on them by a society that seeks to distance itself from nature. It is important that I am true to my own experience in my art, and I have always viewed the world through the perspective of an animal. It is my hope with my art that I am able to reach others who feel more animal than human.

I'm Halo, a Kansas City based artist known for dumpster diving, picking up roadkill, and fantasizing about animorphing into an eel. I also do visual arts and storytelling.