WELCOME ABOARD:

///---> I am a Chicago-based artist who creates soft sculptures. Welcome to my world. <---\\\⋆✴︎๋࣭⭑˚｡⋆๋࣭⭑✴︎๋࣭

This website is a labyrinth, in no certain order and living (!!). It is best viewed on a desktop. Keep coming back.

꧁ ༺ ﹏𓊝﹏༻ ꧂

PINKIE THE FURLUFFALO, 2022.
Faux Fur, Foam, Vinyl.

A WORD ON MY ART PRACTICE:

I am a fiber artist and sculptor transforming salvaged materials into luxurious, narrative-driven soft sculptures. I blend a range of fiber art techniques–from crazy quilting and DIY couture to puppet making, incorporating classical furrier and sewing methods.

My process is rooted in assemblage, finding pebbles along Lake Michigan, costume shop scraps of faux fur, foam mattresses, ’90s eBay beads, and street-found trinkets. With a campy style, I explore themes of animal and human behavior, incorpating personal mythology while building my world. Fascinated by the psyche, I use these materials to explore the intersection of madness, cultural identity, and storytelling through stitchwork and the early internet.

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Stones of Folly, 2024.
Series of sculptures inspired by the Renaissance-era “Stone of Madness” painting by Hiernonymous Bosch that depicted the contested belief that mental illness was cured by removal of stones, process similiar to trepanation, from one’s head.

Here I am performing as a “Pink Lady” for Bread & Puppet Theatre Company in Glover, Vermont. 2019.

SAY HI, LET’S COLLABORATE: CATIEBURRILL@GMAIL.COM

My dream car. 64’ El Camino.

Here’s an article about my work at Parlour & Ramp Gallery in Chicago.

DEAD
HORSE
FLAG

All Salvaged Materials: Bicycle Inner Tubes, Faux Fur, Purse, Frame.
25” x 36” x 4”
2024

Monster’s Throne, 2024.

BABY PINKIE, 2023.
Found Materials: Remnants of Faux Fur, Old Mattress, Dead Woman’s Vinyl.

A miniature version of Pinkie, The Furluffalo. She lives in @SugarHighTide’s Tattoo Studio now.

PETTING ZOO. Relevant words from a participant’s tattoo, “don’t touch the art.” For this showing, I let viewers touch, pet, brush the artwork. TLDR; Many people felt taboo, soothing and adored sensations when they touched the artwork. The Other Art Fair, 2024.

PETTING ZOO. Viewers petting/brushing my artworks (a.k.a. furworks) at The Other Art Fair, 2024.

Fur Coat I stitched for Gracie Hagen.
I was inspired to make this coat by the Victorian Era Quilt Block known as the “CRAZY QUILT”

Click image for further details of my process and unique diy style of pattern making. 2023.

FLYIN HIGH BANNER.
Materials: Fabric, Fringe, Thread, Sequins, Velvet, 2019.

THE TRAVELING GHOST CAT, 2022.
ALL SALVAGED MATERIALS: FAUX FUR, BEDSHEET, VINYL.

Viewer’s hands (+nails+) with my green furwork, THE TRAVELING GHOST CAT, I loved how her look matched the fur ~~what a vibe~~ 2024.

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FURGATE: Embrace the Worm

All Salvaged Materials: Faux Fur, Coat Hanger, Fashion Mannequin Prop, Foam Mattress
2024

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WHIRLWIND, 2024.
ALL SALVAGED MATERIALS: FAUX FUR, PLANT HOLDER, MATTRESS, VINYL.

Real Horse, Fake Fur. April fools 2024.

Dolphins & Daggers poppet, 2024.

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Mirror Mirror in My Hands├┬┴┬ W.I.P. of throne seat #1. Vinyl. 2024.

Still image from ‘Chasing That Bubble Essence of Glory on a Greyhound Bus’ short film, 2022.
“Please join me as I regale yee all with a tale from the roads of yesteryear, of a simpler time, about a young lass hightailing it on a greyhound bus somewhere out in the desert.”

Rollin’ Dirty Banner. Materials: Velvet, Fringe, Thread, Sequins, Rope, 2019.

STUDIO REMNANTS! Making a color palate for an ethereal alien puppet for Chicago Puppeteer, Kim Zyn. 2024.

Crazy Quilt Block Sample, 2022.

BULLS EYE, 2024.
FOUND MATERIALS: FAUX FUR, MATTRESS, VINYL.

A fun project I did with Dennissa Young where I taught her to make giant letters, “HAHA” out of leftover faux fur from the artist Nick Cave.

(◑‿◐)(◑‿◐) (◑‿◐)(◑‿◐)(◑‿◐)(◑‿◐)(◑‿◐)(◑‿◐)(◑‿◐)

Furworks (L to R): Bulls Eye, High Noon, Pinkie The Furluffalo, Furdangles #1-5, Whirlwind, THE TRAVELING GHOST CAT. The Other Art Fair, 2024.

Bird Slayer poppet #3, 2024.
Sometimes I make handheld dolls inspired by lore, animals, and litte guys.

(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

One of my furworks was in a noise band show at Purple Window Gallery. Chicago, IL. 2023. So sick.

A preliminary sketch for the pattern of the fur coat I made for Gracie Hagen. I used a traditional Victorian era technique known as “crazy quilting” to develop my pagtt, 2023.

WHIRLWIIND, 2024.
FOUND MATERIALS: FAUX FUR, PLANT HOLDER, MATTRESS, VINYL.

I used to travel with a traditional three-ring circus. We lived and toured via a mile and a half long vintage post office train. This is a video I took sailing through the Mojave Desert ; my head hung out the windows of our swiftly sailing crazy train. 🕊️ 🌬️ 💨🕊️ 🌬️ 💨

I made a protest banner after Roe vs Wade was overturned in June of 2022 that got recognition on NPR Chicago. The banner’s materials: bedsheet, tyvek constrution sigh, iron on vinyl, machine sewn with thread. One more thing, Kavanaugh--you can still kiss my ass.

.CURRICULUM VITAE.

FURGATE: EMBRACE THE WORM. 2024.
FOUND MATERIALS: FAUX FUR, COAT HOOK, MATTRESS.

//above// My work was featured in the School of the Art Institute’s 2023-2024 Student Employment Guide.

Clip Art Paradise, 2022. ༄

// above! // A real cowboy (!!!!!!!) petting Pinkie, The Furllufalo, at The Other Art Fair, 2024.

Come on down to the Petting Zoo. 500-1000 people got to pet the furs that weekend. Wish you coulda been there.

WHIRLWIND
Being brushed by viewer at The Other Art Fair, 2024.

LAKE MICHIGAN WATER MONSTER COSTUME, 2019.
Materials: Fabric, Polyfill, Paper Mache, Magnifying Sheet.

QUARANTINING IN A FURRY FACTORY, 2020.

All Salvaged Materials: Faux Fur, Foam and Vinyl.

SAYHELLO

Email:
CATIEBURRILL@GMAIL.COM
Instagram: @YESCATIE
Substack: @YESCATIE

Let’s send long winded emails and enjoy the computer together.
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ *:･ﾟ✧ ME IN MY STUDIO! In my favorite place and new world: Chicago Art Department. 2024.

^^^ New finger tat: the sun on the horizon, 2024.

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$$ one of my favorite GIFs, just for funs, heh heh. 🤭 🤭 🤭

Come visit again soon.

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