Aoraki

Artist Statement: 

As a child I loved finding stray cats and bringing them home. Unfortunately, I had to do this in secret because my grandmother would never allow it. She really loved pets and flowers (that’s where I get my passion from) but even she had limits. So I was forced to hide the new arrivals in my room, in a box, in the closet, under my bed or in my bed. I loved to sit for hours stroking and caring for them, they needed me and I needed them. Usually they were all discovered after a couple of days and set free. That compulsion, the strong desire I had to befriend another little soul guides all these new artworks. With my pen and brush I stroke them for hours, attend to every tiny detail and fix every part of them, and all are lovingly adorned with beautiful flowers. I can make them happy and carefree and we can be together on the paper.

The pets in the artworks are still not mine, but I no longer take them without asking. Instead, their owners kindly send me photos of their beloved creatures asleep. Influenced by the pose, shape and mood, I recreate a childhood memory of all the lost pets that I briefly loved and held before they were taken away. Now, undiscovered, they sleep peacefully and merge with their beds of vibrant flowers. Safe there, they’ll never go away and never be forgotten.

Dimensions: 170mm (w) x 180mm (h)

Year: 2025

Medium: Ink

Framing Specifications: Float mounted with soft grey mat, in a white box frame with exposed wood side, UV70 glass

Framed Dimensions: 255mm (w) x 265mm (h)