Rob Gonsalves is a Canadian artist best known for his ‘magic realism’ paintings. The beautiful and mind-bending optical illusions in the artist’s paintings have a fun way of twisting your perception and causing you to question what in his cool drawings, if anything, is real.

Most of his stunning optical illusion drawings have an unclear boundary between the multiple stories they tell, which forces the viewer to jump back and forth between them – like an eye trick that changes every time you look at it.

Gonsalves’ interest in art began at an early age, which is why he became comfortable with painting such complex brain tricks. He had experience with technique and perspective and architectural art by the age of 12. When he encountered Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte, they clearly left a lasting impact on his amazing paintings as well.

Below you will find some recent paintings from the artist. Limited edition prints and original works are available through Huckleberry Fine Art and you can get the latest updates from Gonsalves through his official Facebook page.

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Robert Gonsalves

While Gonsalves’ work is often categorized as surrealistic, ‘it differs as the images are deliberately planned and result from conscious thought. Ideas are largely generated by the external world and involve recognizable human activities, using carefully planned illusionist devices. Gonsalves injects a sense of magic into realistic scenes. As a result, the term “Magic Realism” describes his work accurately. His work is an attempt to represent human beings’ desire to believe in the impossible.’ [source]

Robert Gonsalves

His fantastic worlds overlap with reality, creating a spectacular effect that fascinates everyone.

Beyond the technique, Gonsalves also shows a strong sensibility for nature and landscapes. It’s not a secret that that artists like Magritte, Dalí and Escher have inspired him.

Although he is often categorized as a surrealist, his works have a slightly different character, as a result of conscious thoughts and intentional optical effects. The definition “Magic realism” is the one that best suits his art, the result of a real triumph of imagination.

Robert Gonsalves

Unfortunately, Robert left us on June 14th, 2017, leaving behind a series of surreal works that will surely capture your attention. You can find them on his official Facebook page and on Huckleberry Fine Art.