Jewels of Madagascar
“It probably won’t be the first time you hear that when you spend time in nature, more eyes are watching you than those you actually see. In this painting I wanted to depict some of the eyes I was able to observe during a trip to Madagascar – an island with extraordinary, yet highly threatened biodiversity. From caves to open meadows, during day hikes and night walks, by boat or on my knees, these are the eyes from some of the creatures I encountered: chameleons, Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Cat-Eyed Snake, frog, Sportive Lemur, dragonfly, and gecko. Still, by the time I departed the island, I found myself wondering about the hundreds or thousands of eyes I might have missed. And, more importantly, how many more will remain forever unseen, due to the threat of extinction and tenuous hold on survival many Malagasy species are currently facing.“