ENDANGERED: Art4Apes is delighted to announce that Jacha Potgieter is our July 2023 Photography Virtual Artist in Residence

Congratulations to Jacha Potgieter for becoming our July 2023 Photography Virtual Artist in Residence. The Virtual Artist in Residence Program is awarded monthly to the artist (or photographer) who has submitted four or more entries to the ENDANGERED Fine Art & Photography Contest and has been selected by the Curatorial Committee as best interpreting the aims of the Contest.

Artist Statement

Originally from South Africa, I have been based in Betws-y-Coed in north Wales for the last 30 years. All my life, I have loved animals and had a passion for protecting them. Art has always been my other love in life. After moving to the UK, I studied Fine Art at Liverpool John Moores and now combine my art and conservation work to raise awareness for a variety of issues.

When I paint, I like to focus on the subject’s eyes as I feel you are looking into their souls. I use oil paint on canvas but use all manner of materials to apply the paint, often using pieces of cardboard rather than paintbrushes.

In recent years I have been creating life-sized sculptures of endangered or threatened species using plastic rubbish. I use the artwork to spread the message of single-use plastic and the impact it is having on our environment as well as the plight of individual species.

I am a proud ambassador for Ape Action Africa and chairperson for Orangutan Appeal UK.

New Work/Direction?

I love the variety of art; the last few years have mostly involved photography, painting, and sculptures. However, I am looking forward to exploring ceramics again, as it has been a long time since I created any new pieces.

Awards

I am honored to have been nominated in the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Awards in the Plastic Free Creative category for my Saving the Deep exhibition at Chester Cathedral. The awards will take place in June.

A selection of my wildlife photographs has been honored in the One Eyeland photographic awards, and last year was listed among the Top 3 wildlife photographers in the UK in the One Eyeland Awards.

Art4Apes

I entered ENDANGERED Fine Art & Photography Contest as I have a passion for animals and like to use my art to raise awareness of different conservation issues. I hope, by viewing my pieces, that people can become more emotionally connected to the conservation issues and be encouraged to support projects working to help.

See more of Jacha’s work and get in touch with him by clicking on the links below:

Website: https://www.jacha.co.uk
Facebook: @jacha.potgieter
Instagram: @jacha_potgieter_artist

Jacha Potgieter © 2023 Jacha Potgieter. All Rights Reserved.

 

ENDANGERED: Fine Art & Photography Contest 2022 Submissions

Open Wide © 2022 Jacha Potgieter. All Rights Reserved.

This Gorilla showed off its teeth with a huge yawn, its tongue green from eating the foliage around him.

 
 

Young Grauer's Gorilla © 2022 Jacha Potgieter. All Rights Reserved.

This young gorilla was not enjoying the rain and so kept close to its mother to try and shelter itself.

Gorilla Eating © 2022 Jacha Potgieter. All Rights Reserved.

After a challenging trek looking for the Grauer’s Gorillas, it was so rewarding to get a sighting, this was so content to strike a pose while selecting pieces of foliage to eat.

 
 

Lowland Gorilla © 2022 Jacha Potgieter. All Rights Reserved.

I took this shot while I was in the Central African Republic. I had had a long difficult trek through the forests of the Dzanga Sangha National Park hoping to catch sight of the Lowland Gorillas. Luckily I was rewarded, and came across a small group. It was difficult to get a clear shot with all the foliage and with the gorillas busy eating. As is often the case with wildlife photography this gorilla luckily positioned itself in a clearing and I managed to capture the shot just as it looked up to the canopy.

Mother and Baby © 2022 Jacha Potgieter. All Rights Reserved.

I took this photo of a mother orangutan with her baby while I was part of a volunteer programme in Kalimantan, Borneo. It was a trip that started my passion for raising awareness of these great apes and inspired me to make my hospitality businesses palm oil free.

 
 

See more of Jacha’s work below:

 
 

The Virtual Artist in Residence Program is awarded monthly to the artist and photographer who have submitted four or more entries to the ENDANGERED Fine Art & Photography Contest and have been selected by the Curatorial Committee as best interpreting the aims of the Contest.

Questions? Lindsey@Art4Apes.com