Below is a selection of photographs from the current featured artist:Lavanya Prakash. Lavanya is an ecologist, conservationist, and photographer who runs the excellent blog My Nature Experiences.
Lavanya has been featured in the news, has given two TEDx talks, and has appeared on television. For more information about her, please read this Q&A post about her and her work.
Please enjoy these six photographs, each with an accompanying Artist Statement.
Long-tailed Macaque
Artist Statement:
At one of Singapore’s few remaining patches of protected primary rainforest, my family and I saw a Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) with her newborn baby. Although I’ve seen these monkeys many times over the years, I had never witnessed a mother macaque with her baby so closely. It reminded me how similar we are to these intelligent animals.
Oriental Pied Hornbills
Artist Statement:
Oriental Pied Hornbills(Anthracoceros albirostris) were previously extinct in Singapore. They have now adapted to Singapore’s urban environment due to conservation efforts such as providing them with artificial nest boxes. It was a surreal moment to see a pair of these large, majestic birds in my own balcony – sharing berries with each other! Their visit to my balcony inspired me to carry out a research project on their urban adaption.
Nettle Caterpillar
Artist Statement:
This Nettle Caterpillar (Parasa lepida) may appear to be attractive with its beautiful coloration, but it’s armed with venomous spines which it uses for self-defence. I photographed this little fella during a macro photography course I attended, where we went on a field trip around the Science Centre, photographing many often-ignored small insects.
Oriental Magpie Robin
Artist Statement:
The Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) has a beautiful, melodious song that rings through the Casuarina forests of Coney Island: an island in the far north of Singapore. They were virtually extinct in Singapore in the late 1970’s, but fortunately are common and widespread now.
Yellow-vented Bulbul Family
Artist Statement:
Pictured here is a Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) with its two juvenile chicks! Doesn’t it look like the perfect family picture? (just missing one of the parents!) A few years ago, they visited our home almost every day. We left fruits in the pots for them to eat, and it was amazing to see the parents diligently finding food and feeding it to the ever-hungry juveniles.
Smooth-coated Otters
Artist Statement:
Smooth-coated Otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) were also previously absent in Singapore; however, they have returned as Singapore now has very clean waterways. Each family of otters in Singapore has a special name, mainly according to the location they live in.
On this day, my friend and I were lucky enough to spot the Marina family of otters frolicking in the water and rolling around in the mud. As if that wasn’t awesome enough, we saw a crew of BBC filmmakers filming the critters for a series on otters around the world!
Closing Remarks
Thank you for touring this digital exhibition of Lavanya’s work. Please leave her constructive feedback in the comments section below, and head over to her blog to learn more about Lavanya and her nature experiences.
The Jaguar 