Artist Statement
This body of work is prompted by the mounting number of species facing potential extinction. Depicted are the critically endangered regent honeyeater and indri, each encompassed by similarly vulnerable plant life that exist within their given geographical regions. The creatures and their surrounding flora are given equal prominence within the artwork to convey the essential relationship between the two. With the livelihoods of plants and animals so closely interlaced in the richness and diversity of their ecosystems. The pieces are fantastical and hopeful, portraying these struggling organisms in an environment where they are able to thrive and interact. Amid the growth, however, there is an element of fragility and stillness as this little world holds its breath, teetering on the brink, a moment away from being extinguished. The abundance becomes claustrophobic, and where there was peace, a sense of anxiety creeps in as the creatures call out with desperation, the plants strain upward, and all are frozen amidst this song of survival. The fates of these creatures have yet to be written.
