Rory Hawkins, known professionally as Catlanta, is an Atlanta-based artist and muralist recognized for his playful and instantly recognizable three-legged cat characters that have become part of the city’s contemporary street art landscape. Originally from New Orleans and raised in metro Atlanta, Hawkins combines painting, public art, and community engagement through a practice rooted in accessibility, humor, and local culture.

A graduate of Georgia State University with a focus in printmaking, Hawkins began the Catlanta project in 2011 through spray-painted cat figures appearing throughout Atlanta. Inspired by participatory and non-destructive art movements, he later transitioned the project into hand-painted wooden cutouts—known as “kittens”—which he hides throughout cities as public art scavenger hunts encouraging exploration, interaction, and community connection.

In addition to his widely recognized art drops, Hawkins is an accomplished muralist whose large-scale works appear throughout Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Costa Rica. His work blends bright color, street culture, and approachable imagery with a strong sense of civic identity, transforming public spaces into moments of curiosity, play, and shared experience.