Szabolcs Veres’ canvases are ridiculously grotesque — and that’s what makes them so fascinating. The 27-year-old Transylvanian artist, whose work was on view at New York’s Spencer Brownstone Gallery earlier this year, turns the genre of portraiture on its head with wild, expressionistic, and monstrous works. Hundreds of vibrant colors and layers of luscious brushstrokes come together to compose horrific beasts that look like they just crawled out of a warm, wet grave. Mixing elements of animals, humans, and murky landscapes, Veres constructs a nightmarish vision of humanity that’s truly sublime.

Read the rest of Artkrush’s best shows of 2010 list here.