About the Exhibition
(sub)urban warrior (Natalie Clare)
Horsepower, 2023
Site-specific mural
Natalie Clare is a Chicago-based painter who practices her craft as (sub)urban warrior, creating murals in public and private spaces in cities across the U.S. Describing the inspiration behind the work she painted at 21c Chicago, the artist says: “Horsepower is a mural depicting horses in a slightly abstracted way. Horses are powerful animals at the peak of athleticism and strength in the animal kingdom. The animal/human connection is very strong and nature also produces endorphins, as does physical activity. The crossover is cerebral and meant to brighten the space and bring that same feeling that interacting with nature and animals does in an urban environment removed from those things.”
(sub)urban warrior is an artist working out of the burbs who has an urban vibe to her work. She is influenced greatly by street art as well as by fine art, and she blends the two genres together, paying homage to each of them in her own way. Her creations have been described as “National Geographic meets Disney,” a description she is glad to embrace. She uses her fine-art background and skill set to create her own set of characters, combining different animal and human anatomies together into new creatures she calls beasties. These beasties are nomadic and ancient beings who navigate cities, mountains, and plains, sharing wisdom and spreading beauty.
