Intrepid London Ship | Kristjana S Williams

Intrepid London Ship, a stunning limited edition print by artist Kristjana S Williams.

The story behind the artwork:

This Limited Edition artwork was borne from Kristjana’s discovery of an original photograph at Sunbury Antiques market. The graphic beauty of the ship, with its crisp monotone palette, provided the perfect base for Kristjana’s unique touch.

The animals aboard the moving ship represent those far flung harbours of the world where discovery and enlightenment are achieved, while the intricate details firmly plant the ship in London; a ship that carries an ivy-bound key to the city close to its ornamented decks. The paradox is mirrored in the detail. An African Elephant is crowned with the bowler hat of Fleet Street, while its partner makes an airborne escape; an Antipodian Kangaroo risks a leap from the bow under the watchful gaze of a uniformed seabird. The Indian tiger, a silhouette of colour against the grey, seems to radiate a rainbow of hope, all the while pawing protectively a bejewelled necklace of the Crown. Up in the gathering clouds, a park squirrel scales the towering masts, turning its back on the swaying lanterns of the orient.

The movement of this piece reflects the nature of travel and discovery - perhaps where humans once ruled, nature now prevails, and ever-evolving animals travel on ships, visiting relics of a former time...