Copper leaf, acrylic and oil on wooden panel, 9x20x2cm.
In this gilded panel, the Oriental Magpie-Robin perches as though poised between worlds—its beak parted in mid-song, delivering a message that feels both ancient and urgently present. Painted against a field of distressed copper and turquoise patina, the bird’s halo glows like a rising sun, evoking the timeless language of religious iconography. Here, the bird becomes more than a bird: it is a symbol, a guide, a guardian of liminal spaces.
The Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis) is known across Asia as a bearer of spirit and sound. Its clear, melodic call has long been believed to announce beginnings, warn of unseen happenings, or usher in change. In many cultures, this species is linked to luck, prophecy, and the unseen order of things. Historically, they have lived close to people—settling near homes, temples, and gardens—marking them as a familiar but quietly mystical companion species. Though once under pressure from habitat loss and trapping for the songbird trade, conservation measures have helped stabilise their populations in many regions, making them a symbol of resilience and the possibility of recovery.
The distressed texture behind the bird reads almost like weathered temple doors—suggesting a story that stretches back through time, a reminder that nature’s wisdom is older than any human scripture. The turquoise oxidation breaking through the copper evokes both decay and renewal, mirroring the bird’s conservation story and the wider environmental themes your work explores.