Travis Louie :: Conversations with Cryptids and Sea Monsters

KP PROJECTS is pleased to present Conversations with Cryptids and Sea Monsters, a delightful new body of work by Travis Louie that brings the legends of hybridized cryptids to life in painted form. Rooted in the artist’s lifelong fascination with mysterious creatures, the exhibition pays tribute to the search for elusive beings that haunt our collective imaginations.

Captivated since his youth with cryptids and legendary discoveries, Louie draws from childhood memories spent in libraries, poring over stories of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other mystic beings. The exhibition is an homage to the legendary Patterson footage of Bigfoot, the enigmatic "surgeon's photo" of Nessie, and the strange 1920s monkey photograph by François de Loys. It also highlights real-world discoveries that blur the line between myth and reality, such as the unexpected resurfacing of the Coelacanth—once thought extinct, and the bewildering remains of giant squid washing ashore. By obscuring the lines between reality and mythos, Travis Louie’s waggish renderings humanize these mysterious characters, revealing our hopes, and imagination while igniting an endearing fascination.

Through compelling narratives resembling daguerreotype portraiture, Conversations with Cryptids and Sea Monsters invites audiences to blur the boundaries of fact and folklore, embracing the wonder, mystery, and fascination that has fueled human curiosity for generations.

“’The show is about my fascination with cryptozoological stories and the search for monsters in the 20th century. I have always been interested in such things since I was a small child, hiding in the library and reading about stories of Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster. The Patterson footage from Northern California, the "surgeon's photo" from Scotland, the strange photograph of the large monkey taken by the Francois de Loys in 1920, the discovery of the Coelacanth after it was thought to be extinct. . . carcasses of Giant Squid being found on beaches, etc. . . all these things informed my interest in monsters and the pursuit of cryptids and this next phase of my work is a love letter to these legends and discoveries.’”

Travis Louie originates from Queens, New York. He graduated from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, pursuing Illustration. As the path of freelance art began to unravel and favor his work, he started exhibiting and travelling the world, sharing his visions and charming personifications with the public. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of displaying his work in several art renowned countries and cities, such as Germany, Paris, Rome, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle.