Kirsten Sims’ characters weave busy narratives in colourful landscapes

Cape Town-based artist and illustrator Kirsten Sims is a dab hand at creating sweeping scenes in beautiful, sumptuous colours. Kirsten’s busy paintings are chock full of narrative with multiple characters appearing on one illustration. Rather than chaos, the artist balances all the activity with soothing backdrops of trees, blue skies and sunsets.

It’s been two years since we last featured Kirsten’s work and her brush strokes feel bolder and more purposeful than before, with less of a focus on the final details. This freedom allows her stories to be conveyed much quicker but still retain the warm energy.

From beachy landscapes to looking in through the windows of a party, the artist’s paintings are charming but contain more surreal elements to keep the images fresh. In one image called Catophony, a man plays the cello to a plethora of cats and in another, a group of people dance under the moon and midnight blue sky.