Local Art Exhibit – Shauri E Gonzalez

Artist Bio/Description:

Cats appear in my work as quiet muses of autonomy, softness, and subtle rebellion. I create cat art to capture the feeling of living alongside them; the softness, the mischief, the comfort. Through my art, I hope viewers see their own companions reflected back at them and feel that familiar love we share for the cats who choose us. Or perhaps fall in love with cats themselves, as my depictions place cats in tender, aesthetic home spaces to highlight their charm and individuality.

Another reason I draw cats is to allow me to explore feminism in a way I have not seen explored before, gentle and sweet. The exploration of one’s interests and reclaiming softness. Similarly, returning to pink often symbolizes healing and making peace with parts of oneself that were previously suppressed. I use cats as my art theme to feel intimate and cozy. Cats are both rooted in softness and self-possession and the quiet strength of simply being. Cats do not perform for approval. They rest when they want to rest. They ask for affection on their own terms. They observe before they act. There is something profoundly feminist in that.

In my drawings, cats are soft but sovereign. They represent rest without guilt, affection without submission, beauty without apology. They remind us that femininity does not have to be loud to be powerful but can be quiet, watchful, and unwavering like a cat.