These works have been inspired by a fascination with the "beauty in the ugly". Humans often mistake our standards of beauty for something universal. However, while a male warthog's facial warts, an iguana's spines and dewlap, or a Muscovy duck's red facial caruncles may strike us as grotesque, to members of their own species, those features can be signals of exactly the things humans also value: health, strength, and virility. Through these drawings I want to explore the concept of beauty in unexpected places.
Cormorant ink on paper, 8x10, 2024
Muscovy Duck ink on paper, 8x10, 2024
Spiney Ibis ink on paper, 8x10, 2024
Cassowary ink on paper, 8x10, 2024
Black Crested Guan ink on paper, 8x10, 2024
Ocellated Turkey ink on paper, 8x10, 2024