Commedia

For my elephant "Commedia", I drew inspiration from the Venetian Commedia dell'Arte, a form of theatre that was prevalent in the 16th and 17th centuries and heavily employed the use of masks. The masks worn by the butterfly women on stilts are depicted on "Commedia's" head and flanks. I love sharp contrasts and contrasting colours, which is why "Commedia" has a warm and a cold side. I purposely painted human eyes in order to put the viewer off balance.