Sketch For Survival 2021, at the gallery@OXO, London, 17-28th November 2021
Sketch for Survival is an international, art competition that has been running since 2016. It was set up by the Explorers Against Extinction Trust; a community of explorers with connections to the wider industries, such as the corporate and creative industries. This Trust was set up in 2017 and has since raised a staggering £300,000 GBP for animal conservation, thanks to their annual, art auctions.
Sketch For Survival aims to raise awareness of endangered animals and terrains, that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and poaching. Artists across the world, professional and amateur, are encouraged to donate one artwork of an endangered animal or landscape. Then the top 100 artworks that best represent these themes, are then selected and shown at the prestigious OXO Gallery, at the OXO Tower Wharf, Central London. These artworks are then auctioned at the end of the exhibition and the donations go towards a global initiative such as, the 21 For 21 conservation projects.
Celebrities such as Stephen Fry and Dame Judi Dench also like to donate artworks to the cause!
Below is the artwork that I donated to the competition in 2021. It’s called, “We Are All Mother”, and it is a watercolour painting of a Mother Chimpanzee and her Baby. I decided to paint them in an intimate and vulnerable way, to convey a sense of fragility. I also humanized them on purpose, to encourage viewers to empathise with them. I’ve always had a natural love for Renaissance paintings and the way that they connect with viewers, and this has been my inspiration behind all my paintings.
2021, We Are All Mother, Watercolour
It was my first year entering the competition and was thrilled to become a finalist! This meant that my artwork was exhibited at the famous OXO Gallery 17th-28th November (along The Thames), in London. On the last day of the exhibition, all the artworks were auctioned online. My artwork raised £130 for animal conservation!
I also volunteered for a day at the OXO Gallery, during the exhibition, and was overwhelmed by its popularity. I had a hard time counting the visitors! It was a great experience meeting the Explorers Team and artists, I definitely plan to enter the competition again in 2022. Points for anyone that can spot my painting in the image below!
A special thanks to the Jane Goodall Institute for letting me use their photos as inspiration.
This is me standing outside the Sketch For Survival 2021 exhibition, at the gallery@OXO, London.