British-born Canadian illustrator Ray Caesar weaves a far-fetched tale of his own birth, claiming in his biography that “much to my parent’s surprise, I was born a dog.” As though some sort of explanation for his surreal cartoons, this claim barely touches the surface of the world he has created – a gothic, rockabilly wonderland of fresh faced nymphs in historical and mythological circumstances. In bubblegum bright colours and with a creepy ethereal polish, the characters he creates are as naughty as they are nice – with fetish details and flouncy boudoir costumes that hint to a much darker intention.

For Riccardo Tisci’s A#8, Ray Caesar’s pieces ‘Sleeping study’ and ‘Eternity’ are published alongside a personal quote – an insight into his childhood and the experiences that helped shape his subject matter and fascination with a doll-like femininity.

“Whenever I look at Riccardo’s wonderful dresses it takes me back to a time as a 11 year old boy. I was pretty tall and thin for my age back then and two [of] my older sisters used to dress me up in their clothes and put lipstick on my lips and eyeshadow and my mothers platinum blonde beehive wig. My own hair was jet black and very long in the late 60s and early 70s and they loved putting hot curlers in it… (They had to hold me down for the eyebrow plucking though as I didn’t like that… I think I bit one sister to the bone on her finger but they were a determined pair). I actually didn’t mind and was just glad they could get a laugh and have some fun and I loved playing with dolls too so it was fun to be one for once. I looked quite a bit older with all that makeup and can remember them laughing and then stopping as they realized… I looked pretty damn good!!!!! Sort of like a PanAm airline stewardess and could easily get away with looking like a twenty two year old young lady even though I was only an eleven year old boy that happened to have a good pair of legs. I remember the power I felt, looking like that and I could have gotten any middle-aged man to take me out and wine and dine me and possibly buy me a new baseball mitt…HA! It sure did make my dad worried but since I used to set fire to things around the house and play with knives he learned not to give me grief over such minor things as dressing up and went back to reading his newspaper… I was certainly a pretty little monster. My mum thought it was usual stuff for me but was more amazed by the fact I could walk in high heels… And I can remember looking in the mirror and saying to myself…”One day I will make a picture of this”.

Images courtesy of Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York.