Description
An incredibly detailed image of a regal but ever-vigilant lioness by talented Zimbabwean artist Cole Stirling who is passionate about Africa and its wildlife. With a Fine Art degree majoring in photography, Cole concentrates on monochrome work which allows the subject to speak for itself. He is fresh from selling a strong environmental piece on this year’s David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition in London, and we are pleased to welcome his work to our gallery for the first time.
“This piece was inspired by our first visit to the Masai Mara – a place that completely exceeded all expectations. We knew it would be special, but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer scale and wonder of the wildlife spectacle that unfolded before us.
Among the many unforgettable encounters, one stood out: an evening spent with this lioness and her three small cubs. While the cubs tumbled through the grass in playful chaos, she remained ever still – and ever alert. Her eyes scanned the horizon constantly, attuned to the ever-present threats that lurk in the African bush.
In this drawing, I wanted to capture the quiet intensity of that moment. Her expression isn’t one of fear, but of focus – a deep, unwavering awareness that comes from instinct, experience, and the unspoken responsibility of motherhood.
Mara is, in many ways, a tribute – not just to this lioness, but to every fierce and watchful mother who holds the line between safety and danger. There is grace in her stillness, and power in her patience. I tried to reflect that balance here, in the tension of her posture and the softness of her form.”
