In Heavy Lies the Crown, the king of the jungle sits defiantly in the centre of the canvas, nestled in canary yellow and dusty wheat-coloured strokes.

This painting is narrated by defiant upward palette knife strokes, deep colour variations that seep into the scene, and the layering of paint in the long mane. This all builds a story of an animal at the top of the food chain, yet this majestic creature is entirely vulnerable in its everyday existence.

Lions have disappeared from over 90% of their historical range, with numbers that have plummeted by over 40% in the last three generations, due to loss of living space and human-wildlife conflict. With around 23,000 African lions left in the wild, they’re now officially classified as ‘vulnerable’.