I never thought I would consider drawing a hyena as one of my art pieces.
It lacks the beauty of a leopard or lion, the fame of a rhino or elephant and gets little spotlight for anything other than its chaotic cackle and odd physical build.
Hyenas are portrayed as naïve, idiotic and cowardly. They are compared to jokesters and are seen as nothing more than greedy scavengers. It was time to turn the tables.
Not only are hyenas excellent hunters, but they are considered one of the smartest animals in Africa. Their intelligence tends to evolve in the same manner as ours. They rely on a complex social structure to thrive and can even count.
In the wild, hyena males count the number of males in a new clan before trying to join. They can even determine which clans have more members than they do, to make the most strategic decisions when fighting for territories.
During a ‘group problem solving’ experiment the spotted hyena did better than a chimpanzee in certain categories.
As if intelligence isn’t enough, they have nearly double the bite force of a lion. They can crack bones that are nearly 6cm (around 2.4 inches) in diameter to get to the nutrient-rich marrow on the inside.
If any medium could truly represent this unique and hidden gem of Africa, it is smoke art. Smoke Art has a darker, yet warmer, tone than charcoal, which captures a more natural ‘light’ in the face of any animal done in this medium.
Our terrifying friend can truly emerge out of the depts of the night, as if painted in moonlight. He can stare into your soul and smell your fear.
I’m surprised that he is not part of the big 5.
