MUM CAPTURES ANIMALS’ NATURAL BEAUTY
INTIMATE childhood experiences with native African wildlife have inspired the detailed works of award-winning artist and mother of two Carla Grace.
As a child, elephants, hippos and crocodiles would wander through her front yard in Zimbabwe, sparking an undying passion for wildlife.
“I really can’t picture a world without animals,” she said.
After living in Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Zambia, Ms Grace, with her husband and children, have now settled in Australia.
Aside from the animal kingdom, Ms Grace’s other inspiration has been some of the strong women in her family.
Her grandmother, also an artist, helped develop Ms Grace’s artistic curiosity and understanding of resilience through her experiences surviving a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Indonesia.
Ms Grace’s works never feature animals in aggressive poses.
Instead, she asks the viewer to see animals that are comfortable, at home in their habitat and create a connection with them.