"No Sudden Moves !"
Oil on canvas
'No sudden movements!' — that is the first instruction given before entering the forest to meet the mountain gorillas. Do not run, do not hold their gaze too long, make no sudden movement. I wanted to paint exactly that moment of suspension — when you find yourself face to face with one of them, and you understand, without needing it explained, why that rule exists.
This silverback is standing, one arm raised, its gaze fixed on you. It is not charging — it is evaluating. There is in that posture an absolute authority, that of a being that needs justify nothing. I worked the black fur in the mist, the diffuse light that envelops it, to render this suspended atmosphere, this silence that precedes.
To paint a gorilla is to paint something almost human. That hand, that gaze, that expressiveness — no one can remain indifferent.
I — Original Work
"No Sudden Moves !"
Original work sold — Private Collection
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II — Canvas Editions
Numbered art print, hand-signed by the artist. On 375 gsm matte canvas. Comes with a certificate of authenticity and the artist's double signature.
Shipping: rolled in a tube or framed ready to hang.
