ABOUT THE ANIMALIA SERIES
Animalia is an ongoing series in which I explore the individual character of animals through the visual language of historical portraiture.
My intention is not simply to paint an animal’s likeness. I seek to capture the unique personality of each subject while preserving its connection to the temperament and physical qualities of its breed. Presented frontally and surrounded by an elaborate fictitious frame, the animal assumes the dignity, presence, and ceremonial status traditionally reserved for a member of the court.
The frames are not separate objects: they are imagined and painted as part of the composition. In some works, carved wooden elements extend beyond the painted surface, creating a stronger three-dimensional illusion and blurring the boundary between painting, frame, and sculpture.
Through this transformation, each animal becomes more than a subject to be observed. It emerges as an individual presence—familiar, expressive, and worthy of its own place within the history of portraiture.