TIGER KING

Acrylic on canvas, 50.8 x 50.8 cm, April 2019

Once I finished my series Happy Faces there was something in me that wanted to keep creating different faces that look directly at the viewer. I wanted a way to break the barrier between how we interact with humans and animals, and I did this by giving an animal such as a tiger a human-like appearance. There is a feeling that although the figure you are holding eye contact with is an animal, there is an innate human level of depth and emotion within the eyes. It can lead the viewer to feel emotionally empowered or even uncomfortable.