Born and raised on the Scottish borders and now living in East London, Lynnie Zulu‘s maternal heritage explains how this tigress got her stripes. The illustrator’s mother was born in Tanzania, and the continent’s influence on her style is there in plain sight, in the bold, animalistic brush strokes and the colourful costumes of her tribal characters.
Wild Things is a celebration of strong femininity, packed with personality as vibrant and energetic as Zulu’s exotic colour palette. Highly patterned backgrounds set the tone and emphasise an upbeat mood, reflected in her figures’ clothing and headgear and enhanced by the artist’s practice of working spontaneously. At times her animalistic subjects are camouflaged within their surroundings, ready to pounce, at others they command centre stage, playing in pairs or groups as the attention grabbing focal point, while in some images they lie relaxed in repose. Brighton’s No Walls Gallery is hosting Wild Things from 7 to 23 November.
© Lynnie Zulu
