Meow from the Back Seat Original Oil Painting by Tatiana Tatum
A child's drawing of a cat and a mermaid appears on a fogged-up car window, traced by a fingertip into condensation. Equal parts playful and nostalgic, Meow from the Back Seat transforms an ordinary car ride into a temporary diary—a record of boredom, imagination, and the small moments that make up a life.
Part of my ongoing Foggy Window series, this painting explores human presence through absence. The figures themselves are gone, but their marks remain: fingerprints, drips, and drawings left behind on the glass. The work invites viewers to recall their own memories of long drives, rainy days, and doodling on misted windows.
This painting has received significant recognition and has become one of the signature works in my practice.
Exhibition History & Awards
Honorable Mention, 40 Under 40, Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences (2025), selected by Jennie Goldstein.
Featured in the group exhibition Meow O-Pspspspsps at Cornell University.
Published in Hyperallergic and Art Spiel.
Selected for the highly competitive ArtFields (2026).
Details
Original oil painting on canvas
Signed by the artist
One-of-a-kind original artwork
A celebration of play, memory, and the traces we leave behind, Meow from the Back Seat reminds us that even the most fleeting moments can become meaningful artifacts of being human.
