Kumbuka, escape extraordinaire.

This piece was the result of a lengthy photo and sketch session at London Zoo in October 2016. 16 year old silverback gorilla, Kumbuka was an ideal subject and I was amazed by how thoughtful and pensive he appeared as he sat by the perimeter of his enclosure, close to the viewing area. This life size portrait was then completed at my nearby art studio in Camden.

Later that same week, Kumbuka managed to escape his enclosure for the afternoon until he was found by staff on a sugar-low, after having consumed five litres of undiluted Ribena cordial. Fortunately, Kumbuka was returned to his enclosure without further incident.