ENDANGERED: Fine Art & Photography Contest 2023 Submission - Fine Art Category

Titled 'genus Panthera,' this series of five 50"x72" pencil and oil paintings on linen portrays the five big cats—the lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard—and the ecosystem that is unique to their habitat. My artistic process begins with discerning the geographical regions within which these cats reside, such as the Sundarbans - the largest mangrove forest in the world. With the curiosity of a naturalist, I research the wildlife specific to each habitat and study the animals' anatomy. I draft a network of lines that run across multiple animals, bringing them together in symbiosis in a landscape of their own and within which they interact. Up to twenty-six animals or twenty-three species can be spotted in one painting. In short, I explore fragile ecosystems and aim to promote conservation by reverse engineering animal anatomy through geometric motion.