Artists: Chris Uminga

A popular table in Artists' Alley every year since we first started going, Christopher Uminga's work stands out - even in a sea of uniqueness.


It's in the eyyyyes!

When he turns his watercolors, markers or digital sketchpad to made-up monsters, horror movie staples or even demented comic and movie supervillains, the result is something both beautiful and disturbing.


Cuh-Reepy!

With a superhero, he often paints them standing indignantly posed - like a cute, somewhat disturbing chibi - kind of daring you not to find them comepletely awesome.

There's really no frivolity in his gallery, either here or on his Facebook.  So, it's the kind of thing that causes one to:
1. Do a double take at his booth.
2. Walk past then immediately walk backwards to catch what you missed at a first glance, knocking people over in the process.
3. Find one's self spending way too much time flipping through page after page of his work while others frown impatiently behind you.
(I'm guilty on all counts, here!)
Somehow with the strange, sometimes vacant, sometimes glowy,  bulging and often differently-shaped eyes, he conveys exactly the mood he's looking for and you get it right away.  It's as gorgeous as it is unsettling.
The first year we snagged up a Princess Leia and No-Face from Spirited Away.  This past year, we rounded out the Star Wars pile with this Chewbacca and a feisty Ewok (he has particular skill with Star wars characters.)  We'll be back for more.


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