Environmental Artivism

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

To express the fight for survival, Nicolas Planson’s painting aspires to expose the tragic outburst of the elements which is a consequence of our dreadful anthropocene. He wonders if the great kudu, as well as so many other beautiful but forgotten creatures, will manage to save themselves from the burning smoke of our world on fire?

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Nicolas Planson is a self taught French artist who lives in Britain. His work is inspired by his belief that mankind is an integral part of nature and he is convinced that if we were to turn our back on the natural world this would have disastrous consequences. Conscious of the ecological debt that us humans owe, Nicolas has used his art platform for artivist engagement, hoping to stimulate a response to respect and protect the animal world we live in. His dynamic work elevates his subjects, highlighting their magnificence as well as their weakness, and it is his hope that by doing so mankind will start to reverse the anthropocene.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

The aim of Raul Orvieto with this artwork is to put under the spotlight the cruelty of shark finning, where sharks are hunted, their fin sliced off and the still living body then discarded, often back into the ocean. Raul’s work draws on the symbolism of bloody money, which rests like a heavy tombstone on the official red list of sharks that are declared endangered.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Raul Orvieto is a wildlife artist and signature member of the American Society of Animal Artists. He mainly sculpts and paints aquatic animals. Raul’s work has been repeatedly published in national and international magazines, and he has been a guest on Italian television. He exhibits permanently in Italian national museums and recently, due to his artistic commitment to the protection of the sea, the representation in Italy of the European Commission has dedicated a personal exhibition to him on marine plastic pollution in its institutional spaces in Rome.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

Clare Forgie’s aim in her mixed media piece ‘Burnt Out’ is to show the importance of the interconnectedness of the subject; the Sumatran orangutan and the rainforest. Clare feels the interconnectedness is symbolised by the way the paint flows between her subject matter; one cannot exist without the other.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Clare Forgie is a largely self-taught mixed media artist. Clare creates pictures of wildlife by splattering watercolour paint onto paper which she blows, allowing the paint to flow in whatever direction it chooses, taking on a life of its own. From this Clare then creates an image using coloured pencils. Clare tries to show through her paintings that in life we are all spiritually connected in some way.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

‘Symbiosis’ by Olivier Bertrand is a monumental sculpture made from cardboard, bio epoxy and aqua based resin. Depicting a young girl and a tiger dancing together, Olivier’s aim is to symbolize, at the time of the anthropocene, the hope of the future where humanity and the animal world can coexist in harmony.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Olivier Bertrand was born in Marseille, from a French father and a Chinese mother. He became fascinated with drawing, visual arts and more specifically origami at a very early age. Olivier has always been captivated by the metamorphosis of a simple sheet of paper which, with a few smart folds, comes to life and sparks emotion. After graduating with a Masters in Economics, he finally chose to move into web marketing. Olivier took advantage of a period of convalescence to go back to his roots and by assembling bits of cardboard together he now creates extraordinarily amazing life-size animal sculptures.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

This endearing welded and formed sheet metal sculpture by Pascal Chesneau may appear charming but displays a stark warning as to the inevitable danger, poisoning and destruction ahead as the ring tailed lemurs of Madagascar sit playfully upon a steel drum displaying a warning sign that it contains ionising radiation.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Pascal Chesneau is a self-taught French artist who was born in 1967. Pascal uses a less geometric representation of metal art, focusing on transparency and lightness whilst conserving the form. He provides a wild power, and as much weight as fragility.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

In his monochrome drawing Cole Stirling wonders, in an ever diminishing wild world, if there is still hope to live alongside nature or is time running out? Cole’s musing are illustrated by his juxtaposition of lions on the plains, as predators are amongst the first impacted by human encroachment, against the incongruous city backdrop. He poses the question, can we coexist or will civilisation overrun nature?

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Cole Stirling’s passion for wildlife started at an early age. His earliest memories include early morning drives in his beloved Hwange National Park. Art came as a by-product and a way to express Cole’s passion. Studying photography at university, and later completing field and trails guide qualifications, allowed Cole to develop an even greater appreciation for the natural world and a desire to conserve it through his work. Drawn to monochrome imagery, especially the simplicity of focus on tone and form, this is a feature that Cole strives for in his work, and also something he finds to be quite handy as he is colour-blind!

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

In his striking drawing Martin Aveling observes that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Martin’s painting alerts us to the fact that mongoose fur is still being used to make high-end paintbrushes, as such making the art industry a major threat to their survival.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Martin Aveling has been a finalist in DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year competitions for the past 15 years, and in 2021 he was awarded the inaugural David Shepherd Art of Survival award. Martin coined the phrase ‘wildlife artivism’ in an effort to encourage stronger calls to action in the creative output of working wildlife artists. He is a partner artist at DSWF and sits on the judging panel for the WAY youth category. Last year Martin helped DSWF broker a partnership with Derwent Pencils, for whom he is a global ambassador, and Martin’s artwork features on Derwent’s pastel pencil tins, his favourite medium for over 25 years.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

Camila Echavarria’s painting ‘Barcode Amazon Rainforest’ depicts two guayacan trees and huge ceibas surrounded by native birds, growing upwards from a barcode. Inspired by the works of Garcia Marquez, Camila hopes to inspire appreciation of nature with a reminder to cherish the trees, birds and other forms of nature. This piece is an Acrylic painting on a box canvas (unframed).

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Camila Echavarria is a Colombian artist who draws inspiration from her profound connection to the vibrant jungles and diverse ecosystems of her native country. With a background in product design engineering, Camila explores materials and perspectives that bring art to life. Her works reflect the rich flora and fauna of Colombia, with a focus on plants, birds, and their interplay. Through merging opposing concepts, Camila creates nature-rooted art characterised by simplified shapes, repetitive patterns and Fibonacci principles. Her compositions are primarily black and white, punctuated by bursts of the tropical colours that attract birds. Celebrating resilience, Camila’s art transcends boundaries, capturing the essence of the Tropic and its cultural heritage.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

Humans have long destroyed the homes of orangutans for their gain. In Ophelia Redpath’s oil painting we see an orangutan, faced with a chainsaw and leaving it well alone. Ophelia illustrates that never in a million years would the thought occur to an orangutan to topple a forest and its inhabitants.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Ophelia Redpath has followed a career as a painter since 1986. The subject and style of her work has evolved from abstract, experimental beginnings, to mixed media celebrations of humanity, now focusing entirely on questioning the broken links between human civilisation and the natural world. Ophelia’s current oil paintings express a mix of grief, optimism and humour, with an attempt to visualise how these links can be recognised and reinvigorated. Her book ‘The Lemur’s Tale’ was nominated for the 2014 Kate Greenaway Medal, and Ophelia won Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2021.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

This creative sculpture by Camila Echavarria depicts a guayacan tree and huge ceibas surrounded by native birds. From whichever side the piece is viewed there are barcodes to be seen that transform into forest. Inspired by the works of Garcia Marquez, Camilla hopes to inspire appreciation of nature with a reminder to cherish the trees, birds and nature.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Camila Echavarria is a Colombian artist who draws inspiration from her profound connection to the vibrant jungles and diverse ecosystems of her native country. With a background in product design engineering, Camila explores materials and perspectives that bring art to life. Her works reflect the rich flora and fauna of Colombia, with a focus on plants, birds, and their interplay. Through merging opposing concepts, Camila creates nature-rooted art characterised by simplified shapes, repetitive patterns and Fibonacci principles. Her compositions are primarily black and white, punctuated by bursts of the tropical colours that attract birds. Celebrating resilience, Camila’s art transcends boundaries, capturing the essence of the Tropic and its cultural heritage.

ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

In her oil painting Ophelia Redpath expresses what she feels so many humans must feel when confronted by the devastation they have unwittingly caused to a beautiful, bewildered, sentient being. Despite being endangered by human actions and being in need of a home, the creature depicted is incapable of blame.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Ophelia Redpath has followed a career as a painter since 1986. The subject and style of her work has evolved from abstract, experimental beginnings, to mixed media celebrations of humanity, now focusing entirely on questioning the broken links between human civilisation and the natural world. Ophelia’s current oil paintings express a mix of grief, optimism and humour, with an attempt to visualise how these links can be recognised and reinvigorated. Her book ‘The Lemur’s Tale’ was nominated for the 2014 Kate Greenaway Medal, and Ophelia won Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2021.