In May 2022, I started posting profiles of artists, crafters and writers who depicted poultry in their work. Some of those folks were inspired by the imagery of birds, while others had a flock of their own and wanted to share their love of chickens. I’m neither artistic or particularly crafty, but I can appreciate those who make things with their hands from ideas in their heads.
The following year, I created a series featuring chicken sanctuaries and rescues from Canada, the USA, England and Australia. When writing about the Institute of Animal Happiness I noticed some paintings of chickens in the background of a photo that founder Rebecca sent me. When I inquired about the painter she told me they were done by Rita, one of their staff and connected us via email.
This is the 40th post in the series ‘When Art Meets Chickens’.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Rita Bolla. I’m an artist originally from Budapest, Hungary, now living in New York’s Hudson Valley. I received my MFA from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in 2009, and I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember.
Alongside my art practice, I work as an animal caregiver at the Institute of Animal Happiness, where I spend hours every day caring for rescued farmed animals, including many disabled chickens. Before joining IFAH, I worked at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, also caring for rescued farmed animals. I’ve been vegan for over 12 years. Living and working alongside animals has profoundly shaped both my life and my artwork.
While my work has included abstract and figurative painting for many years, painting chickens has become one of my greatest joys. These aren’t anonymous birds to me – they’re individuals I know, care for, and love. Every chicken has their own personality, little habits, friendships, and wonderfully goofy moments, and I feel incredibly lucky to witness those every day.
How does that influence your work?
Everything I do revolves around connection. Whether I’m working with people or animals, I’m interested in individuality, vulnerability, and finding beauty in the everyday. Because I spend so much time caring for chickens, I get to know them beyond their appearance. I see their routines, friendships, preferences, and all of their funny little quirks. Painting them feels like a natural extension of those relationships. My hope is to capture not only what they look like, but also something of who they are.
What’s your history with creating art?
I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a child. Making art has always been the way I process the world. It has carried me through different countries, different stages of life, motherhood, and now graduate school. Art has never been just my profession – it’s how I make sense of joy, grief, love and change.
How has your practice changed over time?
For many years I focused mostly on abstract and figurative painting. Over time my work has become more personal and more rooted in the life I’m actually living. Working with rescued chickens every day has opened up an entirely new direction. Instead of painting anonymous birds, I’m painting individuals that I know. They have names, favorite places to nap, close companions, funny habits, and distinct personalities. That relationship completely changes the way I approach each painting.
What work is most fulfilling?
The most fulfilling work is always the work that creates connection. I especially love painting chickens that I know personally. It feels like creating a portrait of a friend. If someone looks at one of my paintings and begins to see chickens as curious, intelligent, funny, emotional individuals instead of simply farm animals, then I’ve accomplished something meaningful.
What was that process like?
I spend a lot of time simply watching them. I pay attention to how they stand, how they interact with each other, the tilt of a head, the confidence of one bird compared to the shyness of another. I usually take reference photographs, but the painting itself comes from memory too, trying to capture not just what they look like, but who they are.
What memorable responses have you had to your work?
One of my favorite responses is when people tell me they never realized chickens had so much personality until they saw my paintings. That means a lot to me because it’s exactly what I hope people take away. Chickens are incredibly expressive, curious, and often hilarious, and I love helping people see that.
What motivates you to create?
Curiosity, love and connection. I’m motivated by the hope that art can encourage people to slow down and look more closely at the world around them. Every animal has a story worth telling.
First experience with chickens?
I’ve loved birds for as long as I can remember, but really getting to know chickens changed everything. Working at Woodstock Farm Sanctuary was where I first began building close relationships with rescued chickens. Once you spend time caring for them every day, you realize how different they all are. That’s when they stopped being “chickens” and became individuals.
Do you have chickens?
Yes, I do, and they bring me joy every single day. They’re endlessly entertaining, affectionate in their own unique ways, and full of surprises. Living with them has made me a much better observer, which naturally carries over into my painting.
How have they impacted your life?
They’ve taught me to slow down. Watching a flock reminds me that every individual has their own rhythm and personality. They’ve also brought so much laughter into my life. They’re wonderfully goofy, endlessly curious, and much smarter than most people expect.
How do chickens inspire your work?
Their personalities inspire everything. I don’t paint “a chicken”. I paint that chicken – the confident one, the curious one, the mischievous one, the gentle one. My hope is that each portrait feels like meeting an individual rather than looking at a generic bird. My years of caring for rescued chickens have taught me that every one of them has a unique way of moving through the world. Through my paintings, I hope people begin to see them with a little more compassion, curiosity, and appreciation.
Thanks to Rita for sharing her art and photos, used with permission. Check out her on Instagram
“Celebrating the intersection of creativity and chickens“
Bitchin' Chickens 
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