WILD ICONS
A series of paintings and prints by Skye Holland

Wild Icons is a series of works exploring our enduring connection with the wild. The paintings grew from my years living and working in South Africa during the 1990s, where the physical presence and symbolic power of wildlife left a lasting imprint.

Each animal emerges not simply as a subject, but as a presence — isolated within open space, carrying its own psychological weight. These figures stand as contemporary totems: expressions of strength, vulnerability and quiet authority.

Bold colour, graphic form and expressive mark making elevate the animal beyond observation into icon. There are subtle echoes of ancient wall paintings and decorative motifs, where animals were depicted as enduring cultural and spiritual presences.

Created on archival paper using charcoal, inks, pigments and gold leaf, each work combines drawn precision with intuitive gesture.

Wild Icons reflects an ongoing exploration of animals as both living beings and timeless archetypes — powerful presences within an increasingly fragile world.