Spotlight on the Luminaries: Their Chosen Stars of WAY 2025

Every year, Wildlife Artist of the Year (WAY) brings together world-class creativity and conservation. This year’s exhibition has been marked by some stella new additions to the lineup – our WAY Luminaries, a group of inspiring figures from across art, photography, design, activism, and culture.

Each Luminary shares DSWF’s values and vision, using their platform to champion wildlife, nature, and the stories that inspire us to act. For their 2025 debut, they’ve each chosen a favourite artwork from the exhibition that reflects their passions and perspectives.

Here are the 2025 Luminaries and their chosen pieces.

Abstract World – The Cameron Twins

Chosen work: Galapagos Penguin by Ruby Addison

Identical twin artists Abigail and Phoebe Cameron are known for their bold, surreal style, which invites audiences to reimagine the world through colour and creativity. Their playful perspective mirrors DSWF’s mission to inspire new ways of seeing and protecting wildlife.

They selected Galapagos Penguin by Ruby Addison, a piece inspired by the IUCN Red List and created in oil on canvas. Ruby’s work raises awareness for one of the rarest penguin species on Earth, highlighting the fragility of animals at risk of extinction. With thousands of brushstrokes reflecting the penguin’s unique palette, the painting captures both beauty and urgency, a message close to DSWF’s heart.

Animal Behaviour – Andy Parkinson

Chosen work: On Thin Ice by Sarah Holmes

One of Europe’s most awarded wildlife photographers, Andy Parkinson is renowned for his uncompromisingly ethical approach, capturing wild, free animals with dignity and respect. His ethos aligns directly with DSWF’s values of integrity and compassion in conservation.

Andy’s choice, On Thin Ice by Sarah Holmes, depicts a polar bear hunting on shrinking Arctic ice. Rendered in charcoal, the piece conveys both the motion and raw intent of the bear, while symbolising the precariousness of its survival. For Sarah, capturing fleeting moments of light in the darkness reflects her passion for the natural world; for DSWF, it is a reminder of the species we fight to protect.

Earth’s Wild Beauty – Amechi

Chosen work: The Song of Nature 5 by Ze Ze Lai

Winner of House & Garden’s Rising Star award, designer Amechi draws on Nigerian and Cameroonian heritage to create work rooted in culture, identity, and nature. His belief in community engagement and ancestral connections to land reflects DSWF’s principle of securing sustainable futures for both people and wildlife.

He chose The Song of Nature 5 by Ze Ze Lai, an acclaimed Hong Kong watercolour artist. Inspired by nature’s power to amaze, the painting celebrates forests, mountains, and oceans in soft, dream-like tones. Ze Ze’s work speaks to awe and belonging, a celebration of Earth’s wild beauty that resonates with Amechi and with DSWF’s mission.

Environmental Artivism – Ped Millichamp

Chosen work: Broken Home by Zoe Fitchet

Head of Design at The London Standard, Ped Millichamp is a master of bold, message-driven storytelling. His sharp visual voice reflects DSWF’s drive to cut through the noise and make urgent conservation issues impossible to ignore.

His chosen piece, Broken Home by Zoe Fitchett, uses mixed media to depict a forest transitioning into barren wasteland. A herd of elephants emerges against a backdrop of charred stumps and stark shadows, a haunting reminder of the devastation caused by deforestation. For both Zoe and Ped, it’s an artwork that demands attention and galvanises change, embodying the urgency of environmental artivism.

Facing Extinction – Wawa Gatheru

Chosen work: A Contract with Nature by Angela Knapp

Kenyan-American climate activist and Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree Wawa Gatheru is inspiring a generation of new environmentalists. Her focus on inclusive, intersectional climate justice reflects DSWF’s belief that protecting wildlife goes hand in hand with empowering people and communities.

Wawa’s chosen work, A Contract with Nature by Angela Knapp, is a hand-embroidered puffin stitched onto 19th-century indenture parchment. By challenging viewers to make a “contract” with endangered species, Angela asks whether puffins, and so many other birds, will survive only in books if we fail to act. The fragility of her chosen medium echoes the fragility of the species it depicts, resonating deeply with the Facing Extinction category.

Into the Blue – Alfredo Barroso and Liisa Juuti

Chosen work: Glacier Polar Bear Portrait by Tanya Russell

As Emmy and BAFTA-winning filmmakers best known for Blue Planet II, Alfredo Barroso and Liisa Juuti reveal the hidden beauty of marine life. Their work aligns with DSWF’s mission to showcase the natural world and inspire action to protect it.

They selected Tanya Russell’s Glacier Polar Bear Portrait, a striking foundry bronze patinated in shades of blue to mirror glacier ice. At scale, the work highlights the immense presence of the polar bear, an enduring symbol of climate change and vanishing habitats. For Alfredo, Liisa, and DSWF, it is a call to protect our oceans and the species that depend on them.

“This sculpture holds power and precarity in the same breath. The faceted, glacial surface feels wind-carved; the lifted gaze carries dignity over sentimentality. Its weight is poised on a base that reads like calving ice… strength held over a vanishing footing. An unmistakably personal style meets confident craft, honouring the bear as an individual while speaking, quietly and urgently, to the climate crisis”

Alfredo Barroso and Liisa Juuti

Wings – Mya-Rose Craig (Bird Girl)

Chosen work: Liquid Gold by Madeline Downham (M. Winter)

At 23, ornithologist, author, and campaigner Dr. Mya-Rose Craig, known as “Bird Girl”, is an inspiring advocate for birds and biodiversity. Her focus on diversity in nature reflects DSWF’s own commitment to making conservation inclusive and inspiring for all.

She chose Liquid Gold by Madeline Downham, a mixed-media piece featuring a singing wren painted onto a golden beechwood box. Shy and secretive, the wren is elevated into a treasure with its song a reminder of the wonder even in common species. For Mya-Rose and for DSWF, it symbolises the everyday magic of wildlife that must be celebrated and protected.

Youth Exclusive – Max Denison-Pender

Chosen work: Essential Coexistence by Soomin Chang

Classically trained painter Max Denison-Pender is fearless in using art to spark change. Through projects like “Art in the Extreme,” he has shown how storytelling can drive awareness and amplify overlooked voices, a principle shared by DSWF.

Max’s choice, Essential Coexistence by Soomin (Emma) Chang, features two Dall sheep rendered in vibrant colours instead of white, their heads together in a gesture of unity. The work symbolises diversity and the urgent need for humans and wildlife to coexist. Created by a ninth-grade student from South Korea, it embodies the hope and creativity of the next generation, perfectly reflecting the Youth Exclusive category.

A Celebration of Creativity and Conservation

The 2025 Luminaries remind us that art is more than beauty, it is storytelling, activism, and a catalyst for change. From surreal reimaginings to bold design and intricate embroidery, their chosen works reflect DSWF’s mission to protect endangered species and empower communities.

Together, they prove that when art and conservation come together, they can inspire global action and lasting impact.

📅 Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 runs 9–13 September at the Mall Galleries, London.

🎟 Find out more about this year’s programme → www.davidshepherd.org/events/wildlife-artist-of-the-year-2025