Africa’s mighty baobab trees have held an allure for me since I was a child. They tower over Africa around them, attracting people who congregate in their shade, so gigantic but peaceful. They’re actually succulents rather than trees, and although some are thought to be thousands of years old, no-one knows as they don’t have rings. That just adds to their sense of mystery.
I’ve drawn baobabs in Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Senegal and The Gambia. I discovered my grandfather had a similar interest, photographing them in the 1930s – when I found his black & white photos I used them as references too.
This series includes lithographs, charcoal & pencil sketches, paintings and monotypes. The lithographs were produced in collaboration with Mark Atwood and Joe Leshoka LeGate at The Artists’ Press in White River, in editions of 20 each. The monotypes were made at RBPW in New York.
