Asiatic Cheetah - The Second Coming Series

Oil and 23ct gold leaf on hand carved mahogany icon board.

The 'Second Coming Collection' focuses on species that were declared extinct but have since been rediscovered, have almost 'come back from the dead' in a sense. I wanted to capture the awe in this rediscovery by painting the animal on icon boards that are usually used for religious figure such as Christ and Saints. These species should be revered like sacred figures, as against the odds they have survived and at the same time are very precious as there are very few left. The gold leaf on the icon board highlights the precious nature of these animals, whilst at the same time elevating their status as something divine that should be held in the highest regard. These boards have also been hand carved out of reclaimed Church pews which almost add in a way to the meaning behind using them. The third in this series is the Asiatic Cheetah, who was thought extinct in the 1950s only to be rediscovered many years later, but sadly there's only around 40 left in the wild.

'Own Art' Option Available - Contact the gallery for further information.

There is a special crowdfunding initiative by Gareth Ellis Unwin (Kings Speech Producer) to create a feature film about the Asiatic Cheetah to raise funding and awareness for its plight. A percentage from the sale of this piece will go towards this, and if you're interested in donating the link is here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cheetahthemovie/cheetah/posts