SAFA TAKLA

Meet Safa Takla, an artist whose detailed wildlife paintings combine a fascination with birds and an experimental approach to nature itself. I

n this film for the PROCESS exhibition at CRATE59, Safa shares how leaves, flowers and natural stains become the starting point for his work. Steaming botanicals against paper creates unexpected colours and impressions, forming backgrounds that help guide each composition.

Working in gouache, Safa then builds finely detailed birds through layers of paint, responding to the shapes and marks already on the page. His images explore the colour, character and behaviour of birds, including how they interact with one another and their surroundings.

From the variety of Far North Queensland’s birdlife to the surprises revealed by botanical printing, it’s a thoughtful look at a practice that brings careful observation and experimentation together—and lets nature leave its own mark.