ARTISTS FOR LEO AFRICA
This page is dedicated to all great artists and photographers who have supported LEO Africa with their work or continue to do so by giving all or partial profit of the sale of their masterpieces to LEO Africa.
ABIGAIL WICKING
Abigail Wicking is a self taught portrait and wildlife artist based in the UK.
Painting and drawing professionally now for four years she has been a finalist for the David Shepard Wildlife Artist of the Year '18 & '19 consequently displaing works in the Mall Gallery in London and shortlisting for Surrey Artist of the Year 2019.
​
Abigail is a passionate conservationist and has volunteered on projects across the globe. She takes inspiration from the natural world and tries to promote awareness and invoke change through her work.
​
Abigail's pledge:
Our modern world has produced an unbelievable amount of plastic products most of which as single use items [...] which are thrown away after a single use! [...]​
I only ask you to look at my work and hope you see some of the beauty of the natural environment that I try to capture and realise its worth protecting. Now. Otherwise, the only scenes like these will be in the paintings.
​
You might think “Why bother”, “one person’s efforts aren’t going to make a difference”. I’m afraid you’re wrong.
Think about how much convenience plastic you use on a weekly basis –bottles of water, straws, plastic bags, the food you buy, your toothbrush and disposable razors – The things you can’t help. I’m not asking you to stop cleaning your teeth! Or to stop shaving!! Just think about how much this accumulates to over you’re entire life... That’s a lot. And its just one person...
​
So if one person can use less… What can we all do?
​
We can reuse plastic bags and bottles or take your own. Choose differently packaged food products. By simply being aware of an issue and skipping or replacing some plastic items here and there we can make a difference.
​
Visit Abigail's website at: www.abisportraits.co.uk
Visit Abigail's Etsy shop by clicking HERE
Instagram: www.instagram.com/abigailwickingart​
​
ROBERTA FORMISANO
Roberta is a veterinary student and she has always lived the dicothomy between art and science inside herself. Thanks to the painting, she managed to combine together these two passions.
​
In my artwork, my favorite subjects are animals, sometimes portrayed singularly, while in other occasions they are inserted in a composition associated with emblematic objects, in which I try to create a sort of rebus for the spectator.
​
The choice of these subjects is dictated from the charm of proportions and colors that these animals flaunt but that often go unseen to the human's eye. That's why I aim to destructure, compose and capture their details in my art work.
​
The watercolor is the base of my drawings, often associated with black china ink (used with old style fine brushes), "promarkers" and "ecoline".
Roberta loves the ability of the watercolor to transform colors and shapes on paper to ultimately create unexpected results, This is a technique that takes back to Roberta's instinctive character.
​
Roberta volunteered with LEO Africa in 2015 and after that, she has always been involved with the project by organizing small fundraising and creating our beautiful LEO T-shirts.
​
See more of Roberta's work:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/terkillustration
Instagram: www.instagram.com/robertaterk
RICCARDO TREVISANI
Riccardo Trevisani, was birn in Fermo, Italy, in 1964 and is a world known wildlife photographer. At the age of 4, he moved to Milan where he started to draw, during his tenagerhood, for some magazines and books. Later on, he start growing a passion for photography. His first camera was a pentax K1000.
Riccardo now lives near Pavia, he always loved nature and animals and he has a deep passion for bird photography and the study of the behaviour of birdlife in his area.
​
Almost on a daily basis, he goes to the countryside close to his home to photograph wildlife and birdlife, aiming to take only researched and perfect shots, in which the subject can appear in all of its dynamic beauty.
.
Nature and its colours are part of Ricacrdo's lifestyle and in his photos he tries to communicate to the world the importance of nature, often forgotten by people because of our fst way of living.
​
Riccardo has been to Zanzibar, Kenya and in South Africa, volunteering with us at LEO Africa in February 2018. Here, he could meet and photograph the large African mammals in their natual habitat. Riccardo felt in love with Africa's landscapes and animals and he looks forward to go back.
Riccardo believes that the most difficult thing about natural photography is to be original; it is not easy to capture unique photos, who can easily distinguish themselves from the ones of other nature photographers.
​
Riccardo manages and online free magazine (Birdwatching & Wildlife magazine) where big associations such as WWF and Lipu also collaborates.
​
Visit Riccardo's website here: www.rickytrevisani.it
Instagram: www.instagram.com/riccardo_trevisani
ALESSANDRO INFUSO
Alessandro Infuso was born in Cuneo on November 5, 1992. He lives and works in Busca (CN), a place where he draws and paints since he was a child. In Cuneo he attended the Ego Bianchi Artistic High School and then the Academy of Fine Arts where he achieved painting with honors.
Until 2017 my painting was mainly portraitist but still ranged in every field in figuration. Engaged in hyper-realistic drawing, I also worked with oil, acrylic and watercolor techniques. My pictorial research did not intend to offer a copy almost identical to what is visible, but content and emotions to be transmitted to those who observed my works, which were elaborated in pencil or with a brush.
Currently my research, evolution of a long incipit in the field of portraiture and hyper realism, focuses on a study of some themes dear to me, from which I develop a series of numerous works, combining the sign, the expressiveness, the black and white , the color, the hyper-realistic detail and the unfinished.
​
Alessandro, together with Roberta and other 118 artists, recently took part to an Auction for the Hospital of Cuneo (Italy - 24-26 April 2020) to raise funds for the Covid-19 mergency. In this event, a total of 14.000 Euros were collected in favor of the hospital!
​
Visit Alessandro's Facebook and Instagram pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TEUFELKUNST
Instagram: www.instagram.com/alessandroinfuso
VIVIANE GERNAERT
The Hamburg-based artist Viviane Gernaert refers in her sculptural and graphic works to contemporary films of the genre Martial Arts. Her figures, made of stiffened fabrics are snapshots of a fraction of movement. For the artist the moment of capturing the dynamic plays the crucial role and the question linked with it: How she can make breath-taking speed in the stiffness of a sculpture visible.
Beside her artistic work, she has a great love and passion for animals and wildlife. Especially for elephants.In order to support organizations she got to know as a volunteer, she started the Elephant Dung Paper Project and creates some artistic work and useful objects out of self-made elephant dung paper.
​Viviane volunteered for LEO Africa in 2017 and later on she came back for three months as our first dedicated elephant monitor, to assist us in the census of the large population of pachyderms present in the park. Thanks to her professionalism, passion and dedication she conducted an amazing job.
​​
Viviane took part to the the "Artists for LEO Africa auction" for which she realized some drawings taking inspiration from elephants she monitored during her stay at Leo Africa.
In addition to the auction's contribution, Viviane decided that during this difficult time of the Corona Virus crisis, the sale of the Elephant Dung Paper Products should benefit LEO Africa.
Visit the website and learn more about the project and the products!
https://elephant-dung-paper.jimdofree.com/english/home
​
Viviane works with many art galleries where she exposes her incredible masterpieces.
To know more about her next exposition and to check out her amazing work, please visit Viviane's website
SABRINA COLOMBO
Sabrina is Manager and Ranger at LEO Africa. She was born in Italy and moved to South Africa to work for LEO Africa in 2012. In 2011, she got to know the project when she came here as a volunteer.
​
Sabrina decided to move to South Africa leaving family, friends and sport behind to monitor and study wildlife, in particular lions, her favorite animals.
​
With the years, she started to develop a passion for photography that she uses both for her work in the field, to take ID photos of the animals, as well as to try and raise awareness in conservation.
​
She would love to be able to educate people through her photography about conservation and sustainable living by portraying the magic of our planet and make people understand how important it is to live simply, sustainably and thinking about our future.
​
Sabrina believes that everyone can make a difference by just modifying a few habits: stop using single use plastic, buy only what you really need, choose palm free and plastic free products and simply conduct a responsible life, so that every single inhabitant of our beloved planet can benefit from our good behaviors in the future.
​
If you wish to see more of Sabrina's work, please visit her website, Facebook and Instagram pages:
Website: www.sabrinacolombophotography.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sabrinacolombophotography
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sabrinacolombophotography
SOPHIE NIEMANN
British-born Sophie, is a self-taught artist, who has lived and worked in Africa for the past 20 years. She had an idyllic childhood growing up in the British countryside amongst a creative family, surrounded by artisans at the craft centre her parents founded and managed. Art has always been a passion for Sophie, but it was her interest in wildlife that influenced her studies graduating with a 1st Class honours degree in Zoology from Swansea University before packing her bags and heading for Africa. For the next 10 years she was privileged to spend most of her days in nature, researching lions in the Okavango delta and then working for a conservation and community organisation setting up programmes across Africa.
In 2006 she married a South African, started a family and set up her own company training Safari guides; applying her vast knowledge of animal behaviour and conservation to pass onto the next generation of ethical guides. Living on a remote game farm, which she manages alongside her husband, she decided to home school her children whilst running and expanding her business.
Art had to take a back seat during this busy time however, in 2015, it was time that her children joined the school system and she was able to focus on her art seriously for the first time. It was during this exploratory period that she started to discover that her talents went beyond sketching. Using her experience with wildlife as an inspiration and exploring her love of texture she brings depth and creativity to her work. She enjoys all media, however currently she is enjoying the more creative side of using recycled textiles and machine embroidery in her wildlife and portrait pieces.
Sophie exposes her wonderful work in various art galleries.
​
If you wish to see more of Sophie's incredible and famous masterpieces and you wish to purchase her paintings, please visit her website: www.sophieniemann.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sophieniemannart
AMANDA MONK
Mandy is a wildlife photographer and artist who is currently in her 3rd year of a Bachelor degree in Animal Ecology, while also training for her qualifications to be a FGASA certified Nature Guide.
Mandy is based in Australia and has a passion for African wildlife conservation and scientific research into biodiversity and the preservation of African ecosystems. Mandy shares her love of wildlife through her photography and hand drawn art pieces.
Mandy should have come to volunteer at LEO Africa in November 2020 but due to Covid-19 and travel restrictions, she had to postpone her trip to 2021.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandyinthewild
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandy_in_the_wild
JESSICA SERGI
Jessica Sergi is a 20 years old sculpture student from Genoa, Italy.
She attended the Klee-Barabino art school in Genoa where she discovered her love for ceramics and sculpting.
She creates her artworks in a studio in her hometown and her favorite subjects are animals.
​
Since she was a kid she developed a deep interest towards nature and she loves studying anatomic details and expressions of the different species that live on our planet.
She deepens her ceramic making techniques skills learning from various professionals.
​
The materials she uses for her artworks include clay, porcelain and grès and she constantly researches and experiments to find new glazes to decorate her hand made and pottery wheel creations.
​
If you wish to see more of Jessica's work, please visit her Instagram pages:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jessica.arte_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessica.arte_
Tazza fatta a mano a colombino 150ml
RACHAEL LEEMAN
Rachael leeman is a lecturer from Northern Ireland living in Liverpool, she creates fun personalised animal illustrations in her spare time.
“I volunteered at LEO Africa back in 2015 just after completing my zoology degree. I remember being so incredibly in love with the country and the animals and I knew this is what I wanted to do for my whole like. I went back to university and completed my masters then went back to work in south Africa for a while and now I get to teach young people on courses about animal care and wildlife and conservation as a lecturer.
I have always loved art and started illustrating my friends and family as gifts and they just really hit off. I love bringing joy and memories to people through my illustrations.
LEO Africa has had such an impact on my life I need to do everything I can to help so will be donating a personalized illustration with up to 14 characters/animals/people to the highest bidder”.
​
If you wish to see more of Rachael's work, please visit her Instagram page:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rachyleeman
Instagram: www.instagram.com/illustrationsbyrae
SOPHIE LOSFELD
I was born in Lille on October 5, 1992 (shortly before Alessandro). I was raised in the same city, and still live there. I have a quite normal life, went to school, university, graduated for a Master in Supply Chain Engeneering.
I currently work in a French textile company as a IT support Engineer.
My main interest since I am a young adult is to travel, and take photographs everywhere I go. My first real exeprience abroad was for an internship, and it was in Romania. Since then, I never stopped the travelling experience, going to Australia, Japan (I can say I am an addict), Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Swiss, USA and finally South Africa. Next project in line is to move to Canada, get closer to nature.
I always loved animals, as a matter of facts I wanted to be a vet, but for many reasons this job wasn't for me.
I can remember all the time I spent with my dad looking at animals reportage on TV. Even though I still love to watch these kind of documentaries, it never crossed my mind to see this wildlife by myself, through a Safari or something else.
In november 2019 my husband organised a safari in the Sabi Sands and it was a moving life experience. I felt in love with this country, and its wildlife.
I was supposed to volunteer with LEO Africa in June 2020, but due to Covid-19 I had to postpone my trip. I am however very happy to be part of this fundraiser for Leo Africa!
​
Instagram: www.instagram.com/queensophieable
​
