Richard Lewer
Endangered Bird Series, 2020
Hooded robin, diamond firetail & northern giant petrel
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
acrylic on steel
Richard Lewer’s Endangered Birds series is a quiet, considered exploration of species teetering on the edge of survival. Painted in acrylic on steel, these works combine the tactile qualities of traditional painting with a contemporary industrial substrate, creating a tension between the organic and the manufactured, the delicate and the enduring.
Each bird is captured with meticulous care - its form distilled to essentials, yet imbued with a presence that feels immediate and deeply felt. The steel beneath their feathers lends a cool, reflective surface, suggesting both permanence and vulnerability. The material itself echoes the encroachment of human industry on natural habitats, a subtle reminder of the fragility these birds face.
The Hooded Robin stands out in stark contrast, its sharp black and white plumage defined against the metal’s sheen. It embodies a moment of stillness that belies the threat of disappearance, a solitary figure caught between resilience and fragility.
The Diamond Firetail softens the series with delicate touches of red against gentle greys - its vibrant beak and tail feathers punctuate the quiet scene, offering a glimpse of life’s intricate beauty and the subtle colours of the wild under threat.
In contrast, the Northern Giant Petrel expands the series’ scope, capturing the commanding presence of one of the ocean’s great scavengers. Its broad wings and curved beak unfold across the steel surface with a quiet dignity, a reminder of the vast and often unseen struggles faced by species in distant, windswept places.