Artist Statement

I paint large portraits, acrylic on canvas or linen, of orphaned primates I’ve cared for at sanctuaries, along with sharing their stories and voices, to draw attention to their plight and show the world how close to us these primates are.

After 28 years in the corporate world as an interior designer/project manager in the global firm Gensler, I took a 3-month break in 2007 to volunteer in Cameroon at a primate sanctuary for orphans of the bushmeat and illegal pet trade.  On my first day, I was handed a fragile infant monkey, to be her caregiver.  That summer I raised her and two others, redecorated the manager’s living quarters, was filmed in a TV show and held hostage.  As the result of an incident, I started painting signs and artwork for the sanctuary.  I had no formal painting training, but my respect for the sanctuary and surprisingly fierce attachment to these primates inspired me to portray them.

After that transformative summer, I worked another year before resigning, selling my home, and returning to the sanctuary. Since 2008, I’ve straddled Africa and the US, caring for the orphans and painting their portraits, beautifying the sanctuaries, and sharing it all with the outside world. As my artwork has matured, my most powerful voice for the primates I care so deeply about is through my portraits and stories.

“I want people to SEE them, to look into their eyes, and realize how intelligent, how sentient and how very beautiful and unique these beings are. There is direct engagement, a respect, and recognition. We recognize ourselves in them, and – hopefully - traces of our own humanity.”

New Work

Deciding to branch out from painting primate portraits to serve another species of endangered wildlife, when I accepted the invitation to paint a California condor, was an enlightening experience in several ways. I decided my talents can be put to use in broader contexts, although primates will always be my bedrock cause because of my personal relationship with them.

One collection I’m (slowly) developing is a series of small 9x12 paintings which I call “Tiny Treasures: The Primate Orphans of Africa.” The subjects will all be primates I’ve either hand-raised, or cared for, or known personally at sanctuaries in Africa where I’ve volunteered. For these, I’m choosing the most vulnerable, intimate infant portraits, as I’ve observed how people have responded to them. In addition to the painted portraits, I have vocalizations for most of them as well as stories.

An idea that never leaves me is to have an exhibition featuring my primate portraits, along with the art of a few invited primate-artist friends, that would additionally be an environmental lesson on primates. I want to feature the vocalizations, highlights of respected sanctuaries I know doing heroic work, and information about the pressures the primates face in the wild (poaching, wildlife trafficking, pet trade, habitat loss) and in captivity (primates in research, pet trade, entertainment). I figured, for example, if I could display an actual primate restraint chair and primate restraint tube used in research laboratories, even without a live subject, the shock value alone of the appalling contraptions would be enough to change hearts and minds.

I’m also intrigued with painting a series reflecting the extraordinary array of colors and textures of octopuses (as observed in the brilliant film, My Octopus Teacher).

Planned Exhibits

The California condor is for a touring exhibition for conservation slated for 2022. Called 50 USA, it’s organized by the Australian founder of Living with Koalas and will feature one woman artist from each of the 50 states portraying an endangered or threatened species in their state, along with 50 children’s rhyming books created for the series. Anticipated to tour various venues across the US, the intent is to raise funds and awareness for the highlighted species.

The condor painting will also be in “Animal Impressions,” a Society of Animal Artists exhibit August 21 through November 7, 2021, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson.

My 9x12 painting of infant mona monkey “Ellen De Generes. I Am Not a Pet. I Am a Bushmeat Orphan” has been accepted into the Society of Animal Artists “Art that Matters to the Planet” exhibition at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown, NY, August 14 – October 25, 2021. The exhibit will subsequently tour to the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum in Oradell, NJ November 20, 2021 – January 16, 2022, and The Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, KS February 5 – May 5, 2022.

Other News

I’ve got an ongoing project for Ape Action Africa, the primate sanctuary in Cameroon I support, and where I’ve spent 3 ½ years volunteering. Two years ago for a fundraiser in New York City, I enlisted several artisans who painted or decorated little cutout wooden gorillas we provided and auctioned them off. Those 23 gorillas raised $1,500! I wrote a blog about it for the Safina Center. Although COVID lockdowns have messed with everyone’s schedule, I’m still reaching out to artistic / crafts types to donate their time and talent to adorn a gorilla. We’ll gather them to use for fundraising for the organization. If you’re interested in participating, feel free to contact me!

See more of Robin’s work and get in touch with her, by clicking on the links below:

Website: https://robinhuffmanart.com

Facebook: @robin.huffman.79

Instagram: @RobinHuffmanArt