I've been a fan of German artist Michael Sowa's work since I first noticed his paintings in the 2001 French film Amelie. Sowa is well known for his whimsical, surrealist paintings. They often depict animals and people in reverse roles.
He has illustrated a number of books in English and German. Little King December, a story by Axel Hacke and illustrated by Michael Sowa is a beautiful story about two polar opposite worlds. The story has a mix of Lewis Carroll and Kafka's upside down upsurdities - and is a wonderful read.
Another book Sowa illustrated is Esterhazy: The Rabbit Prince by Irene Dische and Hans Magnus Enzenberger. This is an imaginative story about an European family of rabbits. The youngest bunny, Esterhazy, is sent to Berlin — a place with a Wall separating the city, "a little bit like Kansas City, one part of which belongs to the state of Kansas, the other to the state of Missouri ... only not so friendly."
Sowa's Ark is a compilation of 50 works of art. It was first published in 1996 and reprinted in 2006. All the paintings share simplistic titles and humorous subjects. Some of the backgrounds in Sowa's works remind me of Hudson River School paintings. It is striking to see the contradictions of normalcy mixed with the outlandish. In 2010, the artist printed wall calendars which can be purchased here.
Here are some samples of Michael Sowa's art.
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