Caitlin Perrigo (she/her) is an oil painter based in Biddeford, ME. She earned her BA in Biology and Visual Arts from Wheaton College in 2024. A 2023 recipient of both the Beinecke Scholarship and Phi Beta Kappa Ruth Redding Graduate Scholarship, she is currently pursuing her MFA at MECA&D. Perrigo’s work explores themes of displacement, depicting birds confined within human-dominated spaces and destructive materials. Through meticulous renderings, she highlights species depletion while exposing the visual paradoxes of death and beauty. Within this morbid reality, she finds hope—each carefully painted element a testament to the significance of time and attention. In turn, her devotion to detail compels viewers to slow down and observe, fostering a deeper awareness of the natural world.
Birds are rarely seen in such striking detail; we typically experience them as fleeting blurs darting across the sky. Only in moments of stillness can we fully appreciate their delicate intricacies. By positioning these beautiful creatures in compromised states, Perrigo provokes contemplation, urging viewers to reconsider their relationship with nature.
This raises an essential question: Do you see yourself as part of nature or separate from it? Her work challenges us to reconnect with the natural world—not only for our own sake but for the future of birds and the ecosystems they inhabit. The well-being of our planet, future generations, and ourselves is inextricably linked. Just as nature has the power to inspire us, we hold the collective ability to inspire change and cultivate a more symbiotic relationship between humanity and the earth.
Email- caitlinperrigo@gmail.com
Instagram- @caitlinperrigo_art