Artist: Martli Heyns
Country: South Africa
WASA Member: Yes
Title: Blurred Borders
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 410mm x 310mm
Details:
This painting was inspired by that delicate space where shadow meets sunlight, and where the wild meets the built environment. The contrasts of light and dark felt fitting for a species that exists between two worlds: resilient enough to adapt, yet still vulnerable to the loss of connected natural spaces. Sadly, the line between wilderness and human development is becoming increasingly difficult to define.
Every time I encounter a story of a caracal thriving on the fringes of an urban environment, I am reminded that conservation is not only about protecting distant wilderness. It is also about creating room for wildlife to persist alongside us, and ensuring that the borders between our worlds do not become barriers. Their ability to adapt is remarkable, but adaptation should never be mistaken for abundance.