Growing up along the Amur River in Russia, Berlin-based artist Andrey Kasay’s earliest inspiration was the wilderness. This untamed quality remains evident in his off-the-wall illustrations, which are being displayed at a new exhibition called How the Baguette Became a Giraffe at London’s Pocko Gallery.

“The main idea is comedy versus tragedy,” the artist says of the exhibition’s premise. The new body of work takes these contrasting themes and merges them, exploring how humour can be found in dramatic contexts. “Comedy is a dead art form, but tragedy – now that’s funny,” Kasay tells us.

Comprising a selection of the artist’s illustrated works, the show reveals his penchant for bold, evocative and surreal creations, which have attracted clients in MTV, Nike, Gucci, and Red Bull. On display is his signature visual style, characterised by strong linework and vivid colour palettes, as well as his usual bizarre subject matter, which couples quotidian scenes with strange and dreamlike elements.

For example, in an artwork titled Mortgage, two men relax on chairs in a living room in a scene that would be unremarkable were it not for a giant fish lying in the middle of the space, with a chandelier hanging on its back. In another titled Business Lunch, two different men in suits sit on rubbish bags while one eats a long hot dog that appears to grow from the face of the other. These pieces typify the kind of mysterious, tongue-in-cheek work that Kasay is known for.

“If we’re talking about ideas in general, I can give you a list of my favourite themes,” says Kasay. “Society’s dependence on entertainment; stereotypical and limited thinking; the pervasive implantation of corporate values; consumerism; and the restriction of freedoms by governments – I talk about them in a satirical and humorous way.”

Indeed, there is much humour to be found in Kasay’s work. How the Baguette Became a Giraffe attests to his ability to convey this in myriad ways, from subtle, background elements to in-your-face gags that border on slapstick.

Birds become chair legs, genitalia becomes a water tap or a face mask, and a bra becomes a pair of hungry birds. There is no end to Kasay’s silliness, and yet his illustrations always retain an eerie quality that nods to a deeper meaning behind the comedy.

“I would say that my work is inspired by life in general,” notes the artist. “I like to tell people that my works are based on true stories, and, in a way, they are.”

How the Baguette Became a Giraffe is on show at Pocko Gallery in London until October 11; pocko.com; andreykasay.com