Michael Cheval is the world's leading contemporary artist, specializing in Absurdist paintings, drawings and portraits. In his definition, "absurdity" is an inverted side or reality, a reverse side of logic. It does not emerge from the dreams of surrealists, or the work of subconsciousness. It is a game of imagination, where all ties are carefully chosen to construct a literary plot. Any one of Cheval's paintings is a map of his journey into illusion. His work is often metaphorical and requires a sharp eye to decipher the often hidden allusions. ....

Looking back, my first steps toward a life working with glass were taken on a trail in a Caribbean rainforest. The year was 1994 and I had hiked up a small trail toward the sound of moving water. Before me stood a waterfall, a hundred feet high, descending through the forest, ferns, and cliffs. It was a cascade from a painted dream, and I was mesmerized. I watched how the water began to gather in the river above and brake apart into segments as it fell, before collecting into a perfect pool below...