Robert Oxley - Roaring Back for Summer 2023

‘Malachite’ the lion, ‘Sage’ the leopard and ‘Basil’ the tiger all began for Robert Oxley by exploring working with the colour green. “The human eye can distinguish more shades of green than any other colour,” he explains. “Science will explain about the wavelength of perception of colour rods and cones in our eyes, but I prefer the explanation that it’s an evolutionary hangover from a time where we were hunter-gatherers needing to find prey animals and plant medicines. We've evolved to identify medicinal plants in dense jungle and forests. We wouldn't have made it this far without this amazing ability.

“I'm also deeply fascinated with animals’ adaptations, especially camouflage. The way some animals have evolved to escape predation and disguise themselves to hunt prey is an amazing gift. Life finds a way.”

The portrayal of the big cats in camouflage colouring is a perfect example of Robert’s art transcending conventional representation, transporting viewers into a fantastical realm where animals take on a new dimension of consciousness. Big cat expert Robert has posed his new subjects in a classic stalking pose. “It’s something that holds the eye of the viewer,” he says, adding that once you’ve made eye-to-eye contact with one of the animals, it’s then that you can appreciate the details of the painting. This is also part of Robert’s ongoing mission to encourage us all to engage with and appreciate the majesty of nature and the magnificent animals with whom we share the planet.

The big cats in Robert Oxley’s new collection perfectly illustrate his expressive brushwork, which is energetic and fluid, giving his paintings a sense of movement and spontaneity. The works, painted with a psychedelic flourish of dripwork and intense colour, are a blend of surrealism and expressionism, which adds to the emotional impact of his artwork, giving life and movement to his subjects.

Robert’s affinity to nature and wildlife spans across every facet of his life and often into his downtime; whilst he was creating the new works, he was reading the book ‘Being a Beast’ by Charles Foster, which very much chimed with Robert’s desire to make us feel a unity with animals. In the book, Foster embarks on an unconventional and immersive exploration of the animal world by attempting to live like five different animals.

"One of the animals he decided to be was a fox, so he went out into the hillsides and burrowed into them, eating earthworms and rootling around in rubbish. It’s a very eccentric book, but the author wants to challenge the way we think about the natural world and make us more connected with other species.”

Due to popular demand, the big cats from Robert Oxley’s Summer 2023 collection are available in two sizes; a larger boutique edition and a slightly smaller edition. This means that whatever space you have available for art in your home, we have an edition of Robert’s new collection to suit your needs; the difference between the sizes is illustrated below.

Featured art (L-R): 'Malachite' boutique edition, 92 x 122cm, £795; 'Malachite', 71.5 x 91.5cm, £595 by Robert Oxley. Signed hand-varnished boxed canvas limited editions.