Phasmatodea Pulchella Painting

Hisham Echafaki is a self-taught painter with a fascination for nature and the animal world. Working in oil, acrylic or resin, his work focuses on surrealist compositions with animals and examines the impact that humankind exerts on the environment´s fragile balance. Whilst his artwork evokes a sense of wonderment for nature’s colours and patterns, it often incorporates anthropomorphic and ‘trompe-l’oeil’ features that engage the viewer to reflect on our complex relationship with the animal world as well as the importance of conservation and protection of the planet’s rich diversity. Hisham Echafaki also creates three-dimensional animals painted on multiple layers of resin to give the optical illusion that they were once real specimen. Presented as faux taxidermy the creatures often display anthropomorphic features on their wings or bodies with recognizable patterns found in art, design, science or architecture while others are simply more lifelike. Each piece is a tribute to the beautiful intricacy and complexity of the animal world but also a critique of how humans are affecting and shaping evolutionary changes in animal species. It also questions the ethics of keeping animals in captivity as ornaments or for our personal enjoyment.