The Last Quagga, Extinct 1883

About the artwork

My work captures fleeting glimpses of our fragile natural world, centering on a love of wildlife with a focus on endangered and extinct species. Deeply concerned by the pressures facing animals in a human-dominated world, my art aims to provoke reflection on our impact and inspire a sense of responsibility for conservation. This drypoint print is a study of the quagga (Equus quagga quagga), a South African equid that became extinct in 1883. The animal had a fascinating appearance%u2014a transition between the bold striping of a zebra and the solid coloring of a horse. Because the last individual died in captivity over a century ago, we only know the quagga through a few surviving photographs and museum specimens. The "velvety" quality of the drypoint burr allows for a soft, rich line that mimics the texture of the animal%u2019s coat. This technique provides a depth of tone that helps illustrate the subtle gradient where the stripes fade into darker hindquarters.