7 Instagram Cat Artists to Beautify Your Feed

Finding art that tickles the funnybone or sweeps the heart into a waltz, especially in those simpler times pre-Instagram, can be challenging. So, although social media is a little monster who eats the hours of my day like Pacman with those dots, I still love scrolling & finding artists on IG. Here are seven of my favorite artists who have a special touch with bringing life, humor, and imagination to the most inspiring muse of all: The Cat. They hail from all around the world and are united on the global stage of Instagram. Have you seen their work?

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based Lim Heng Swee is a self-taught illustrator who believes that “the curves of cats can perfectly blend into natural landscape scenes” (via BoredPanda). Looking through her Cat Landscape series, I now get it. Her illustrations’ minimalist aesthetic, sensual lines, and rich hues conjure humor from the mountains and the oceans … thanks to cats.

Hawaii-based Karen Obuhanych’s paintings of cats, kids, and other animals brim with childlike wonder and burst with joy. The oft-featured little black cat is a plant savante. I admire him/her greatly :) I also love the paintings that show the pure interaction between human children and animals, as they remind me of this quote from Sigrid Nunez’s The Friend: “When people are very young, they see animals as equals, even as kin.”

There are two themes that magnetize me to Korea-based Nyan Song-i’s art: One, the chubby and often standing cat subjects. Two, the interesting play with time. Some illustrations feature cats enjoying “timeless” human activities like picnicking or reading. Others are anchored in the present time, like the one above of a cat wearing a face mask and stocking up on essentials. Others still nod to times long ago, in which the cats wear traditional Korean clothing and enjoy activities popular with folks (and cats?) centuries ago. The experience of past, present, and timelessness through a cat’s perspective is far more interesting than through a human’s, I daresay.

The floofy black cat with a permanently dazed expression is the star of Saint-Petersburg, Russia-based Natalia Shaloshvili’s paintings. I relate to him/her, especially in the painting above with the yellow sofa and mug of coffee :) It’s incredible how a few lines and watercolor-esque swashes can deftly capture such a mood, isn’t it?

Barcelona-based Manu Montoya is a real-life pet parent. She has a black cat named Quino and a white pup named Crispin, so the vivaciousness in her artwork is basically guaranteed. I like her bold use of color and her character’s palpable personalities. It’s fun to see the occasional photos of her furbabies on her feed, too.

Kansas-based artist & creative encourager Terry Runyan creates art every day. Yes, everyday. And she encourages others to join in (hence, the ceative encourager part of her title). Her style is whimsical and ranges across many different styles. My favorite are the series featuring cats perched atop of different people’s heads. I showed these to Junipurr and suggested we commission a custom portrait of the two of us. Babygirl still needs some more convincing :)

Maryland-based Jamie Shelman (aka The Dancing Cat) creates “art for the moderately crazy cat lover.” LOL, it’s all a spectrum! Her recent work is a bit reminiscient of New Yorker cartoons, which is always fun. I do have a soft spot for her older work featuring cats in situ, especially when they celebrate a message (#pussyhatsighting).

Which cat artists do you follow in Instagram? Though she’s no illustrator, Junipurr likes to create visual art too ;) Find her here, if you’d like!