Nature can be raw and cruel.
But in Caesar Perez’s mural in West Town, there’s harmony and peace between what otherwise would be rival animals in the real world.
A fiery orange cat sleeps lazily as colorful songbirds perch atop it.
Little blue mice curl up near the cat’s paws that otherwise might be weapons.
“I wanted to evoke peace and comfort in the environment, a time of rest from craziness of everyday life,” says Perez, who’s based in Pilsen and who grew up in Logan Square as well as Stone Park.
“The cat, birds and mice sleeping in one place, being at peace, the mice and birds being comfortable with the cat and the cat being gentle with the smaller animals that normally would be hunted by the cat.”
Located at Chicago and Marshfield avenues on the side of a Mexican grill, the painting was done in June and is titled “Resting Place.” It was commissioned by the West Town Chamber of Commerce and funded through a special property tax fund.
Beyond trying to capture and convey “tranquility,” Perez wanted the artwork to “appeal to all age groups, and have some interactivity with the community.”
“I’ve been told by various people online that their entire family loves to take photos in front of the mural which is what I was hoping for.”
Asked how the concept for the mural originated, Perez says, “It was just an idea that I came up with. I’m an animal person, not necessarily just cats, all kinds of animals, I grew up with all sorts of animals.”
Perez painted a similar mural last fall in Windsor, Ontario, though this one featured a tiger rather than a regular cat.
