ENDANGERED: Fine Art & Photography Contest 2022 Submission

Some years ago I had the great privilege of studying orangutan behavior in the rain forests of Borneo as part of my formal studies in anthropology. Spending several months based out of Camp Leakey I observed orangutan in the wild - building nests nursing their infants feeding on fruit and insects. My direction has turned from studying orangutan behavior to painting them for which I feel I can contribute a unique perspective. The ‘Man of the Forest’ is endangered partly due to deforestation for the purposes of palm tree cultivation. Ibu means Mother in Indonesian and this painting was done from my own photo reference.