Anne Hadingham African Wildlife Artist Zimbabwe

Born in Zimbabwe and raised on a farm where her family shared a keen interest in all aspects of nature, Anne grew up in a world where Spotted Eagle Owls, bush pigs, pythons, spiders, scorpions, genets, snakes, lizards, tortoises and parrots were all part of the family menagerie alongside the usual cats and dogs. It was from an early age that she developed a passion for wildlife conservation and art.

Anne studied Fine Art at Technikon Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. There she became proficient in Sculpture, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking and Photography. No wildlife subject is overlooked, but she has an affinity for cats and enjoys working in the mediums of Chalk pastel, Intaglio Print and Oils for variety.

Years spent as assistant manager of Chikwenya Camp - Mana Pools in the Zambezi Valley, were an ideal way to live in the African bush and study wildlife up close and personal. It was there in the heart of a World Heritage area boasting four of the big five and other endangered species such as African painted dog and pangolin, that Anne had the invaluable opportunity to observe and record an abundance of wildlife, often at very close quarters, occasionally assisting the National Parks Ecologist in tracking and collaring the resident lions.

Whilst in the employ of Wilderness Safaris, Anne traveled to many of their other Safari Camps in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, all of which are in prime remote an unspoiled locations, most notably: Skeleton Coast, Sossusvlei, Duba Plains (Okovango), Savuti, Linyanti, Rocktail Bay (Maputaland), Makalolo (Hwange) among others, safely in the hands of Africa’s most experienced professional guides. This was invaluable to Anne’s understanding of animals, their habitat and behavior and formed the reference base from which she now works.

Since graduating in 1995, she has taken on many private commissions for Clients as far afield as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and even Malaysia and participated in various exhibitions in Zimbabwe. She can tackle any subject including human portraiture, but has a preference for the big cats and other predators.

In 2007 during a stint in the UK, Anne joined the Marwell International Wildlife Artists Society (MIWAS) and participatited in their Annual Summer Wildlife Exhibition at Marwell Hall. The Exhibition is the largest of it’s kind in Europe, boasting work by many accomplished artists. Since her return to Zimbabwe in 2008, she has resumed work as a full time artist and plans to exhibit regularly, where posible contributing to conservation efforts. Her most recent showing was a two-man exhibition at Richard Rennie Art Gallery in Harare Zimbabwe, November 2009.