Hand Painted Canvas Art South Africa Animals at Sunset
KUGNA – Gorilla
South African street artist Sonny, known for his large animal murals, goes inside the gallery for an exploration of the precarious balance betwixt mankind and the animal kingdom. ForTo the Bone, Sonny has created a series of paintings and sculptures to explore the possible extinction of beloved animals around the globe.
Each private portrait, from gorilla to panda, elephant to rhino, is an intimate look at the emotional, cultural, and economical cost nosotros'll pay should nosotros permit these animals fall into extinction. With one-half of their faces stripped downwards and decorated with the pattern of the tribes local to each species origin, and golden highlighting the trunk part prized by poachers, in one canvas Sonny strikes at the heart of this urgent consequence.
In addition to the canvases, Sonny produced a set of mitt-painted sculptures. Each canvas is paired with a skull replicas as a haunting reminder of what will remain if we don't put an cease to the poaching and environmental acts that place the animal kingdom at hazard. As an artist, Sonny is not only letting his creativity speak to important issues, but he's also helping raise funds. A limited set up of hand-finished prints will exist available during the exhibition, with proceeds benefitting Project C.A.T. The organization, which is a collaboration between Discovery and the Globe Wild fauna Foundation, helps conserve almost 2 million acres of land in India and Bhutan in order to ensure a salubrious habitat for tigers.
In accelerate ofTo the Bone, which runs from May 17 to May xix, 2018 at 393 Broadway, New York, NY, nosotros spoke to Sonny well-nigh his concept for the projection and what it means for him to use his art to promote charitable causes. Read on for our exclusive interview.
MUDIWA – Elephant
What is it near animals that attracts yous every bit an artist?
I find information technology incredible how each species is and so unique and different. Studying them and painting them keeps me constantly intrigued.
How did the concept for To the Bone come up about?
Living in South Africa and spending time in the bush-league quickly made me fall in love with these wild animals, and I soon began learning more near the problems they're facing that are driving many of these species to the brink of extinction. Around the same time, I was playing with the idea of creating a new trunk of work for a solo show and decided to use this work to raise awareness and funds for animal welfare.
How did yous go well-nigh selecting the animals featured?
I started by focusing on animals shut to home, but then realized that as information technology's such a global result, the animals in the series should reverberate that. I wanted everyone to be able to relate to the work and the bug information technology speaks to… So, I decided to showcase a selection of endangered animals from around the world – a tough task to narrow down the list down to merely ten considering how many species are in serious trouble!
MANIPI – Grizzly Comport
KUMBUKANI – Rhino
Tin can yous explain the significance of the inclusion of local tribal patterns on each fauna?
I don't recollect people fully realize the impact that losing these animals will have on the states, as humans. These animals are so much a part of our culture and our heritage, and when they disappear, we will be losing a function of ourselves as well. The native patterns stand for this…
MUDIWA – Elephant
Painting a mural and painting a canvas use different skill sets. What is the most interesting office, equally a street artist, of tackling a gallery evidence equally opposed to an outdoor mural?
It seems counter-intuitive, but painting a sail actually takes much longer than painting a landscape… well for me at least. As this is the commencement canvas piece of work I've created, this was something that caught me completely off-guard. Where murals are physically challenging, being in the studio for over a year working on this body of piece of work was one of the most mentally challenging (and rewarding) things I've ever done. I experience really privileged to be able to work in the studio and on the streets; the two give me a lot of balance and keep me excited!
PINDA – Orangutan
Why was including a charitable aspect to the initiative important to you lot?
The murals were all about raising awareness and starting conversations around the extinction crisis. For the gallery show, I wanted to focus on raising funds, particularly for tigers which are my favorite animal and are critically endangered. I wanted the piece of work to make a existent impact in every way possible. Information technology's why I'yard altruistic 10% of artwork sales to Discovery's Project C.A.T., with one painting beingness auctioned—the tiger—to support the global try to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022.
What do yous hope that people accept away from the piece of work?
In terms of my message, the intention with the project was ever to inspire action, even if that action is as simple as a shift in mindset or existence more than conscious nearly how our daily habits and choices touch on the world effectually us and all its creatures. I promise that people will capeesh the beauty of the animals in the paintings, and in doing then, realize that this beauty needs to be protected. In terms of the artwork, I've worked difficult to create something that I hope is both unique and impactful. I want people to come up abroad feeling that they accept seen something new and exciting, something they've never seen before.
ZOUYU – Giant Panda
LOHAN – Mexican Wolf
MANIPI – Grizzly Bear
Sonny: Website | Facebook | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Sonny.
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Source: https://mymodernmet.com/sonny-animal-paintings-endangered-species/