‘And We Praise Her’ In this piece, Destini is goddess and savior. She is praised by nature, in the form of two Sandhills cranes. They wear chrysanthemums tied to their heads to mimic crested cranes, which are endangered in their native environment. Chrysanthemums represent joy and optimism. The feathers of the crested cranes would imitate Destini’s crown. I chose to disguise Sandhills as crested cranes, instead of just painting the latter, because we humans often believe we can fix the damage we do to the world by introducing what we see as a substitute. The reality is that we don’t understand the complexities of natural environments, and usually get it wrong. The baby cranes are being asked to wear the same headgear. Just like we ask children to buy into our distorted way of life, ignoring their truth.
Artist +-
Lesley Thiel
Lesley Thiel is an international award winning, figurative artist known for her highly detailed photorealistic paintings. Working in oils, her pieces focus on narrative portraiture and magical realism. Her paintings contain imagery designed to tell a story of the fate of our species and our relationship to the earth. They include feathers, flowers, and animals as a sign of hope for our collective future. They speak of the strength of the upcoming generation of young women and girls, who may well be our saviors. They question the accepted narrative of the female voice in society and the myths attached to this. Her paintings are represented in collections throughout the world.
Lesley’s work has been included in numerous exhibitions, including at the Museum of Modern European Art (MEAM), in Barcelona; Bantierra Palace, Zarazoga; Sotheby's New York; Wassau Museum of Contemporary Art; The Mall Galleries, London; The Salmagundi Club, New York; Terminal 5 Heathrow (as part of the Olympics), and Zhou B Art Center, Chicago. She has received a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America, and awards from the Art Renewal Center and International Guild of Realism. Her work is part of both the Art Renewal Center Collection, and the Bennett Collection. Born in England, she now lives and works in Ireland.
Donation +-
Based on our agreement with the artist, 15% of the pre-VAT price excluding frames will be donated to support akt.
Artwork Details +-
Print medium: Printed, using the giclée method, on Hahnemuhle Photo-Rag Ultra Smooth fine art paper. This 100% cotton paper is extremely age resistant and has an ultra-smooth surface texture. The 305gsm paper complies with the highest archival standards and is extremely age resistant.
Frame: Artwork is printed without a frame.
Shipping: Delivery duration is 4-7 business days within the UK, 7-10 business days across Continental Europe and 10-20 days for the rest of the world. Delivery to some countries will be subjected to additional import VAT and duties to be paid to the courier directly.