UK-based artist and environmentalist Sophie Green paints remarkable stories of wildlife. Known for her hyperrealistic paintings of animals, Green's quasi-photographic style captures the vulnerabilities of nature. The artist depicts the grandeur, beauty, and intensity of animals such as guerrillas, leopards, rhinoceroses, penguins, and other species at risk of extinction.
“This is not a celebration of nature,” says Green of her most recent collection, Commodities. “This collection is wildlife void of both ‘wild’ and ‘life.’ It is an inferno, shining a light on the bizarre and entitled way that humans have forever used nature and wildlife for our own benefit. Hunting, racing, bating, fighting, breeding, eating, poaching, wearing, training. The avarice is never-ending.”
In one painting from the collection, Temperance, a large chimpanzee sits on a black pedestal. With its left hand reaching across its chest, gripping the bicep on the right side, the animal fearlessly addresses the viewer. Each strand of hair is carefully placed, giving the animal a luminous presence. Green delicately painted each wrinkle, and the glisten reflected in the chimpanzee's eyes. Placing the figure atop a pedestal provokes viewers to reflect on the multifaceted link between humans and nature.
Commodities connects people with different animals through the lens of conservation, as the artist beautifully depicts the reality of life in the wild. Each brushstroke of the chimpanzee is intentional, as Green aims to capture the sensational characteristics of animals.
The artist is focused on giving back to nature, as spending time in these environments has provided profound serenity for her. Green dedicates herself to the well-being and longevity of nature's ecoscapes, challenging others to do the same. In Temperance and the paintings of Commodities, Green challenges viewers to address the contentious relationship humans have with the natural world.
Her devotion to nature doesn't stop with her artistic achievements. She focuses on the convergence of art and philanthropy, as 10% of her profits pour into wildlife and conservation charities. Green also pursues other avenues of activism, such as her online commerce site Art Basket, collaborations with the Jane Goodall Institute UK, and the IFAW International Youth Art Contest. Her work serves as a reminder of the beauty and vulnerability of the world we live in.
You can purchase original paintings and limited-edition prints via her online store. Ten percent of the profits are given to wildlife conservation efforts. To stay up to date on her latest work, follow her on Instagram.
UK-based artist Sophie Green uses art as a tool to comment on the beauty and vulnerability of wildlife.
Temperance is one of her more recent works and highlights the grandeur and resilience of animals.
Green uses her art to expose the ways humans use nature to their own benefit.
She strives for people to protect animals and their habitats, not just enjoy the commodity of wildlife.
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Philanthropy is a cornerstone of the artist's work, as 10% of her profits are donated to various wildlife and conservation charities.
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Take a closer look at her 2022 exhibition in London.
Sophie Green: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Sophie Green.
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