Sharece Studios creates semi-abstract fluid art that was made by first dripping paint onto the canvas before then scraping it down the canvas with a squeegee to create somewhat unpredictable shapes and colours. Recently, the studio has created a series of paintings that depict endangered animals such as the black bear, the toucan, and the monarch butterfly.
Considering their technique of choice, each piece becomes a reminder of how human activity has adversely affected the population count of each species. Hence, each piece encourages its audience to take steps that can help to conserve and preserve them for posterity, much like the artworks are doing by portraying them. This is why the semi-abstract animal paintings by Sharece Studios are relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Life on Land.
As previously mentioned, the animals depicted in these paintings were not chosen at random. They are instead animals who are facing serious threats to their population count because of human activity. Print 42, for example, is a semi-abstract painting that depicts a monarch butterfly flying off with the colours of its wings trailing behind. Between the 1980s and now, the IUCN Red List has found that western monarch butterfly populations have declined by 99.9 percent in the wild. Meanwhile, its eastern population is only doing slightly better with an 84 percent population reduction. This makes the migratory monarch butterflies the single butterfly species with the greatest risk of extinction.
Another painting, titled the Abstract 550, depicts the Moorish Idol fish, which, despite not currently being endangered, may just be so in the future due to its overfishing and difficulty breeding in captivity. The Moorish Idol fish gained popularity after the fish was depicted as one of the supporting characters in the 2003 hit Disney Pixar film, Finding Nemo. Here again, Sharece Studios is using their drip and scrape painting to raise awareness of how human activity has adverse effects on wildlife.
Meanwhile, their piece Print 43 depicts a black bear, which, along with the brown bear, is one of the two bear species that are not endangered or considered of “least concern” by the IUCN Red List. This sentiment calls for celebration. It is reflected in the painting, where, unlike other pieces, where animals seem to be weighed down by the smeared paint, the black bear seems to be floating upwards, aided by balloons in its stomach. It is a reminder of how conservation efforts for black bears have been effective, with population numbers on the rise and sport hunting managed.
Sharece Studios’ fluid art offers striking symbolism to the devastating impact of human activities on the planet’s biodiversity. By depicting endangered and at-risk species through their unique drip and scrape technique, each piece powerfully conveys the fragility of these creatures and the urgent need for conservation efforts.
Find out more about paintings by Sharece Studios and their other pieces and initiatives by checking their Instagram at @sharecestudios.