Fine Art

Fleeting Flames

Smoke is often fleeting, but in Bibi’s art, it becomes something lasting. Using nothing but the controlled movement of a candle’s flame, she guides the smoke to stain the paper, forming each detail without the use of ink, charcoal, or paint. The process is delicate—too much heat, and the paper burns; too little, and the smoke fades away. Each piece is a balance of control and unpredictability, making every artwork one of a kind. Just like the wildlife she depicts, smoke art is fragile yet enduring.

burns; too little, and the smoke fades away. Each piece is a balance of control and unpredictability, making every artwork one of a kind. Just like the wildlife she depicts, smoke art is fragile yet enduring.

Artwork is available as a limited edition print as well.
Find out more about available stock and sizes.

Prosper

Smoke on Paper • 100cm x 70cm

When you ask someone what they know about cheetahs, the first thing that you will hear is that they are endangered. The second thing that you will hear is that they are elegant and fast.

Calling a cheetah endangered is such a universally accepted and repeated fact that we often forget the seriousness of this statement.

In a time where their endangered status is almost normalized, my art seeks to depict their hope in a fresh perspective, emphasizing their resilience and vitality through the eyes of an optimistic young adult.

Before they become the elegant and poised cats that we know, they enter a young adult phase where their curiosity is at its peak, and they are free to explore their world. Everything is new and exciting, and their energy fuels them to learn and understand their surroundings.

The glimmer of childish joy is vivid in their eyes. My goal is to show a side to these cats that is more relatable to our own lives. No matter your age, every day holds new challenges and lessons. Every day we have the possibility to grow as individuals.

For them, these opportunities die the day they disappear from our planet. Around 6500 adult individuals still exist today. As the gene pool becomes smaller, their chance of survival dwindles even more.

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Artwork is available as a limited edition print as well.
Find out more about available stock and sizes.

Vigilant

Smoke on Paper • 120cm x 55cm

This year, the African Painted Dog has taken the spotlight among artists, designers, and conservationists worldwide.

Their numbers have plummeted from an astounding half a million to a mere 6,600 individuals over the last 20 years.

My art aims to capture the soul of the animals I create through their eyes and expressions, but what gives a wild dog its soul? Having done two smoke portrait pieces of these dogs in the past, I felt the need to expand and share more about these wonderful animals by focusing on their personality traits.

Wild dogs are some of the most social animals in the wild. Their packs form intense and lasting bonds. They use a broad range of body language, vocalizations, and touch to communicate, greeting each other after separations and caring for any member who becomes ill or injured.

After a successful hunt, the pups are allowed to eat first, and all the females help care for and babysit one another’s pups. They have even been found to mourn the death of a pack member.

With such a specific and intricate social structure, playtime is considered very important. All members, whether pup or adult, participate in daily playtime. It is the ideal time to teach the younger dogs social cues and helps the older members maintain strong family bonds.This artwork is the first piece I’ve made that shows movement. Three pack members are wrestling and playing in the dirt. Their speed and agility don’t allow the dust to settle as they playfight for the title of strongest dog.

Today, it’s a game; tomorrow, it might mean the difference between losing a brother and securing their next meal.

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Artwork is available as a limited edition print as well.
Find out more about available stock and sizes.

Boesman

Smoke on Paper • 100cm x 70cm

We called him Boesman. He was a solitary Cape buffalo bull that used to roam along the outskirts of our game farm in Limpopo. Unpredictable, powerful, and always alert, Boesman was one of my first introductions to the Cape Buffalo.

The Cape buffalo has a reputation across Africa. Locals call them the Black Death – not because of superstition, but because of how quietly they move, how suddenly they charge, and how difficult they are to read. Boesman was no exception. One morning, his herd came close to the gate of one of our enclosed areas. On the other side, a farm worker was walking along the road.

Boesman saw him, and without hesitation, acted. He went straight for the enclosure gate (three meters tall and mounted on a motorized rail). Boesman hooked it with his horns, yanked it off its rail, ripped the whole gate out of its fixtures, and shoved it forward. It dropped to the ground with a crash.

Just like that, the gate was gone. Luckily, the sound scared the herd, and they bolted. Boesman followed them into the dense, thorny sicklebush, and the moment passed. But the memory didn’t.

This artwork is a tribute to that day, and to the bull that left such a strong impression on me. I chose to surround him in smoke – the dust of the fleeing herd rising around him – tying the moment to the medium. He stands facing the viewer, tense and unshaken, just like he did then. A reminder of what it feels like when there’s nothing left between you and one of Africa’s most dangerous animals.

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Artwork is available as a limited edition print as well.
Find out more about available stock and sizes.

Vigilant

Smoke on Paper • 100cm x 70cm

Vigilant is inspired by my admiration for the leopard’s cunning and instinct for survival.

Leopards don’t rely on brute strength; instead, they’ve perfected the art of strategy. Their ability to climb trees is not just an advantage, but a necessity. It allows them to escape predators and protect their hard-earned prey. Yet, even in the safety of the branches, they remain ever-watchful – alert to every sound and shift in the wind, ready to vanish in an instant.

A leopard in a tree is more than an iconic sight – it captures the essence of the animal itself. It is a perfect balance of power and intellect, a creature both feared and revered in many African cultures as a symbol of authority and quiet dominance.

In creating this piece, I wanted to merge the rugged, unrefined beauty of the tree with the leopard’s effortless elegance. The monochrome tones allow the leopard to both stand out and disappear, just as it would in the wild.

The broken, lifeless tree contrasts against the clean background, while the leopard breathes life into the artwork—transforming what would have been a still composition into something alive and full of presence.

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Artwork is available as a limited edition print as well.
Find out more about available stock and sizes.

Rememberance

Smoke on Paper • 100cm x 70cm

This piece is a tribute to a mother elephant who became a victim – not of human cruelty, but of nature’s quiet indifference. While I often aim to shed light on the conflict between humans and wildlife, sometimes it is nature itself that delivers the most heartbreaking outcome.

In the heart of Mozambique, a female elephant and her calf became trapped in the thick, sludgy remains of a dried-up riverbed. Locals discovered them and tried to help, digging tirelessly to free the mother.

But the ground was too unstable, and no vehicle could get close without the risk of becoming stuck as well. And as a wild animal, she couldn’t understand that they were trying to save her.

They were able to free her calf. He ran to the thickets, feeding ravenously before making his way to nearby water. But his mother had already been trapped for six days. Weak, dehydrated, and in distress, she could not be saved.

With no other choice left, they made the heartbreaking decision to put her down – to end her suffering with dignity. Her herd had long moved on, unaware or unable to return. But in those final moments, with the air still heavy from the loss, they reappeared.

From the edges of the bush, they called to the frightened calf. The rescuers watched as he responded, and the herd formed a protective ring around him – reclaiming him in silence before melting back into the wild. Most human-wildlife encounters carry stories of conflict, but this one left me with a different ache…one of bittersweet hope. People came together to try and help. And even in nature’s harshness, the strength of connection and family still found a way.

This piece was created to capture the raw emotion reflected in her eye – an emotion that speaks of pain, love, and the quiet echo of remembrance. A gaze not so different from our own.

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Artwork is available as a limited edition print as well.
Find out more about available stock and sizes.

Enduring

Smoke on Paper • 100cm x 100cm

As an artist dedicated to bringing attention to the protection of wildlife, it felt only fitting to portray one of the world’s most trafficked and poached animals – the pangolin.

Like the rhino’s horn, the pangolin’s scales are falsely believed to hold medicinal powers.

Their defense is simple yet extraordinary: curling into a shielded ball that no predator can penetrate… except man. Tragically, this very instinct, along with their size, is what makes them such easy targets for poachers. In this piece, I wanted to capture both the beauty and uniqueness of the pangolin in its protective form, without losing the soul within its gaze. I chose to unwrap him just slightly – leaving it to the viewer to decide whether he is preparing to retreat into safety, or cautiously opening from his shield to meet the eyes of the only creature that can determine his future.

Even the frame was part of the story. When a rounded frame could not be found, my framers went above and beyond to have one custom made especially for this artwork.

Its circular composition was envisioned from the very beginning, and to this day, it remains the only piece of its kind in my collection.

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Smoke art

The Story Within the Smoke

Every smoke artwork by Bibi carries a reflection of the natural world… sometimes born from her own encounters, other times inspired by the untold stories and efforts shaping wildlife conservation. Her art aims to illuminate the authenticity of the wild – raw, graceful, imperfect, and profoundly alive.

Have questions or interested in a piece?

Whether you’re looking for original smoke art, bronze sculptures, or exclusive wildlife-inspired merchandise, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out for inquiries, commissions, or collaborations, and let’s bring the beauty of Africa’s wildlife into your space.