Mongoz and Crinoid

The first in the “Lemur Mourning Series” inspired by Victorian mourning pieces memorializing
the deceased with a lock of his/her hair. So too the paintings remind us of collectors' cabinets that
were all the rage in Darwin's time, a time that celebrated the marvels and oddities of the natural world.
So many species were discovered during that era, including lemurs, and today lemurs and biodiversity
in general face unprecedented risks of extinction.

NOTE: Hair used in these art pieces was opportunistically saved (or collected) during
routine annual physicals.

Original: 16” X 12” acrylics on canvas, hardware, lemur hair