As a child of East Africa I feel a deep connection to the animals portrayed here. I hope these paintings remind us not only of their existence, but how precious that existence is.

-Veronika Hart

Veronika will give an Artist Talk on Saturday, October 19th at 3 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Last year Veronika had the opportunity to travel back to Tanzania, where she visited the Serengeti Plains and other wildlife sanctuaries in that area. “I was absolutely enthralled,” she says, “but also moved by the realization that these creatures are up against powerful forces beyond their control: climate change, loss of habitat and poaching, forces which will determine their chances for survival in the future.”

‘On Eye Level with Power, Beauty and Loss’ will feature paintings of East African wildlife as seen through the eyes of someone familiar with Tanzania, who feels a personal connection to the natural beauty and wild animals of East Africa. “Since returning to the U.S., I have been on a mission to tell their story,” says Veronika, who adds that she feels “a desire to capture the essence, the true nature of each individual creature in an effort to bring awareness to the pressures they face.”

Veronika’s animal imagery shies away from simple portraiture, instead, her paintings incorporate a more complex narrative. “With each painting, I’m challenged anew to attain not only technical virtuosity but also interesting conceptual content,” she writes in her artist statement. “As a painting develops, through the interplay of figurative accuracy, abstraction, whimsy, and chance brushstroke, I invariably get lost in the process in a quest to find that perfect yet elusive sweet spot, the one that brings balance and meaning to the whole.”