ART& SOUL
The winning entries from this year’s Wildlife Artist of the Year competition from David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
Wildlife Artist of the Year is more than just an art competition. It is a platform for artists from around the world to highlight the issues affecting wildlife. The artworks challenge the viewer via a variety of thought-provoking media and prompt discussion about conserving iconic species.
This year, the competition received 1,419 entries and 157 finalists were selected. An impressive £32,000 was raised for the work of David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation from entry income alone, with more funds for conservation projects across Asia and Africa set to be raised from exhibition sales.
Ugandan conservation artist Karen Laurence Rowe was announced as the Overall Winner at the Mall Galleries in London with her stunning, abstract landscape painting The Journey, which explores drought. The Overall Runner-Up award was scooped by Camila Echavarria, a Columbian artist and engineer who focuses on the jungles of her home country, with an unusual and striking sculpture intriguingly titled Amazonic Barcode Jungle.
New categories for this year included Abstract World – which invited artists to express themselves non-figuratively – and Environmental Artivism – which recognised artists wishing to share important issues facing wildlife.
From an intricately detailed pyrographic depiction of a tree and its deep root system to a lively watercolour of two tigers at play, the winners showcased here are diverse, novel and exciting. Roll on 2024!
Abou
Sarah Lake Wings Winner | Medium: hand-cut paper JUDGE’S COMMENTS: “I am just in awe of the detail in this hand-cut paper piece. At first, I thought it was a photo of papier-mâché. I love all the intricate layers. This bird just makes me smile.”
The Journey
Karen Laurence Rowe Overall Winner | Medium: oil with gold leaf JUDGE’S COMMENTS: “A painting that not only conveys a vital conservation message about drought and the changing environment, but is also a dynamic portrayal of a new and exciting abstract style. The more you get lost in this stunning landscape, the more you can find.”
The Prowl
Gale More O’Ferrall Animal Behaviour Winner | Medium: oil JUDGE’S COMMENTS: “A painting in all its glorious detail, but an individual style that breaks the representational mould. A beautiful piece of work that impressed the judging panel.”
Shadow of a Ghost
Tamara Pokorny Into the Blue
