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While Mytour has previously delved into the haunting art of ancient times, this piece demonstrates that contemporary art can rival, if not surpass, the spine-tingling impact of its historical counterparts. It even challenges the unsettling vibes of Caravaggio and Edvard Munch, particularly as we move from paintings to sculptures later in the list.
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10. Dado
To gently introduce you to this list, we begin with Dado (1933-2010), a Yugoslavian-born artist. His works may initially appear mundane or even cheerful due to his use of soft colors, often opting for pastels rather than the dark reds and blacks typically associated with unsettling art. However, upon closer inspection of pieces like The Large Farm (1963; pictured) or The Footballer (1964), the grotesque and disturbing nature of his creations becomes evident. The tormented or sinister expressions, the unnatural growths, and the distorted, mismatched bodies reveal a deeply unsettling vision. The pastel palette only amplifies the horror, as it contrasts starkly with the grim subject matter.
H.R. Giger, the renowned designer behind iconic works like the Alien franchise, Species, and Darkseed, is among Dado’s admirers. Giger’s personal collection features several of Dado’s works, alongside prints by masters like Salvador Dali. This endorsement speaks volumes about Dado’s impact on the art world.
9. Keith Thompson
Keith Thompson is primarily known as a commercial artist rather than a fine artist. He specializes in creating monster designs for projects like Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim and Scott Westerfield’s Leviathan series. His artwork boasts the precision and refinement typically seen on Magic: The Gathering cards, rather than pieces you’d encounter in a museum.
Take a look at the image above, Pripyat Beast, which features a grotesque fusion of animals and horrifying deformities. This piece exemplifies the kind of unsettling imagery Thompson enjoys creating. The backstory—that the creature and others like it are the result of radiation from the Chernobyl disaster—feels like a nod to 1950s sci-fi, yet it doesn’t diminish the discomfort it evokes. Interestingly, the SCP Foundation, a creative writing community focused on supernatural entities, adopted it as their mascot, dubbing it “SCP-682.” Given Thompson’s extensive portfolio of disturbing works, such as Lili, it’s likely they’ll find even more inspiration in his creations.
8. Junji Ito
When it comes to commercial artists whose creations are far more terrifying than one might expect to be profitable
Ito’s work stands apart in the realm of Japanese horror manga due to his strikingly realistic and almost endearing portrayal of “normal” characters. This contrast makes his horrifying creations even more jarring. His passion for frightening readers might stem from his previous career as a dental technician, where precision and an eye for detail were paramount.
7. Zdzislaw Beksinski
When an artist declares, “I cannot conceive of a sensible statement on painting,” it’s safe to assume their work isn’t about painting kittens on collectible plates. This Polish painter, born in 1929, dedicated decades to crafting surreal, nightmarish visions of fantasy realism until his tragic death in 2005 (he was stabbed 17 times). His most productive phase, spanning the 1960s to the 1980s, involved creating intricate works he likened to “photographing his dreams.”
Though Beksinski insisted his art carried no deeper meaning, famously stating, “meaning is meaningless to me,” many of his pieces seem to hint at symbolism. Take, for instance, his 1985 painting Trollforgatok (shown above). Growing up in a Poland ravaged by World War II and later dominated by the Soviet Union, one might interpret the eerie figures as representations of the Polish people and the imposing head as a symbol of oppressive authority. However, Beksinski dismissed such interpretations, claiming his work was either optimistic or humorous—though his humor was undeniably among the darkest ever conceived.
6. Wayne Barlowe
Countless artists have attempted to depict Hell, but Wayne Barlowe stands out as one of the most renowned—even if his name isn’t immediately familiar, his work likely is. Barlowe’s art has graced numerous blockbuster films, including James Cameron’s Avatar (where the director personally praised his contributions), Pacific Rim, and the Harry Potter series, specifically The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire. His crowning achievement, however, remains the 1998 book Barlowe’s Inferno.
Barlowe’s vision of Hell transcends mere torture chambers, presenting a high-fantasy realm filled with towering demonic lords and vast armies. Yet, it’s unmistakably distinct from Tolkien’s Middle-earth. As he describes it, “Hell is defined by its utter indifference to human suffering.” Consider his painting The Examination, inspired by Flemish depictions of autopsies. His demons exhibit a detached curiosity toward human souls, utterly disregarding the agony they cause in their studies. This portrayal is chilling in its implication: humans aren’t even significant enough to be hated or tortured—they’re mere curiosities, if that.
It’s little wonder Guillermo del Toro once remarked of Barlowe’s Inferno: “The Devil has found an architect.”
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5. Tetsuya Ishida
Ishida’s 180 works deliver stark social commentary. His acrylic paintings frequently depict humans transformed into objects, such as packaging, conveyor belts, urinals, and even hemorrhoid cushions. Some pieces show rooms blending with nature, suggesting an escape from bleak realities through imagination. However, these are far less striking than works like the one above, where food-service workers are rendered as mannequins, mechanically dispensing food to customers, akin to cars at a gas station.
Regardless of how one interprets his metaphors, the unsettling, uncanny-valley style of his work overshadows any humor, evoking instead a sense of dread and revulsion. Ishida’s career, marked by such bizarre creations, ended tragically in 2005 when he was struck by a train, likely a suicide. His body of work remains highly esteemed, with pieces like this untitled painting fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars.
4. Dariusz Zawadzki
Born in 1958, Zawadzki carries forward the tradition of unsettling fantasy realism pioneered by Beksinski. Surprisingly, he entered the art world despite early discouragement. Despite the intricate textures and meticulous detail in his work, a teacher once told him his vision wasn’t sharp enough to pursue painting. Perhaps the teacher simply wished they couldn’t see his terrifying creations so vividly.
Zawadzki’s art often incorporates a steampunk aesthetic, featuring robotic beings with their mechanical innards exposed beneath synthetic skin. If that doesn’t unsettle you, take a look at his 2007 oil painting The Nest (pictured). The body language of the chicks is eerily lifelike, yet they are depicted in a grotesque, partially disemboweled state. It’s both repulsive and fascinating, compelling viewers to keep looking despite the discomfort.
3. Mark Powell
Australia appears to rival Poland in producing artists who specialize in horror, as Powell’s Melbourne-based creations are profoundly unsettling. His 2012 exhibition, featuring “miniature environments where imaginary beings evolve, devolve, consume, excrete, multiply, and decay,” remains shocking even in today’s desensitized world. His earth-toned settings and intricately textured creatures are disturbingly lifelike, while the body language of his figures is meticulously crafted to make their bizarre situations seem normal, thereby enhancing their believability.
Similar to other artists mentioned, Powell’s art has been widely appropriated online, often placed in entirely new contexts. The infamous SCP Foundation, for instance, used the grotesque yet oddly domestic image above in a story titled “The Flesh that Hates.” Additionally, the chilling short story “The Russian Sleep Experiment” has been paired with this image in horror videos like this one. Powell’s dioramas leave a lasting impression because, unlike static statues or paintings, they create immersive, walk-through visions of hell.
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2. Patricia Piccinini
Piccinini’s sculptures explore a wide range of themes, from distorted motorcycles to peculiar hot-air balloons like the Skywhale. However, this Sierra Leone-born artist (now an Australian citizen) is best known for creating sculptures that are unsettling even in photographs, let alone in person. Take, for example, her 2004 piece Undivided (pictured), where a humanoid figure with back plates and infant animals emerging from its body embraces a human child. The inclusion of trust and affection makes it even more disturbing, as if the child’s innocence is being exploited.
One of the most notable, albeit dubious, recognitions of Piccinini’s work came when, as Snopes.com reported, images of her sculpture The Young Family were circulated online via chain emails. False claims accompanied the images, such as the sculpture being a “malcat,” allegedly a banned dog-human hybrid smuggled into the USA. While chain email forwards aren’t known for their credibility, the incident underscores Piccinini’s mastery in working with fiberglass, silicone, and hair.
1. Joshua Hoffine
Born in 1973 in Emporia, Kansas, Hoffine is a photographer who crafts terrifying scenes by blending classic fairytales with childhood fears, stripping away any sense of whimsy. His most renowned series, Childhood Fears, exemplifies this approach. Trained in mainstream magazine photography and Hallmark-card design, Hoffine’s work boasts a polished, professional quality that many horror photographers deliberately avoid, as they often aim for a raw, “found footage” aesthetic.
While some of his pieces, like the Pickman’s Masterpiece series—a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft’s character, the painter Pickman—lean too heavily on staged whimsy to be truly frightening, his best works are deeply unsettling. Consider his 2008 piece Bedside (pictured above), which, like many of his works, features his daughter Chloe. By instructing her to remain expressionless, Hoffine avoids dictating the viewer’s reaction. Instead, the juxtaposition of the cheerful pink setting and the swarm of cockroaches evokes a visceral response, showcasing Hoffine’s ability to masterfully balance horror and subtlety.
