experience my africa - wild, raw, unforgettable
African Wildlife Art — The Heartbeat of Africa on Canvas
By South African Wildlife Artist, Joe Marais
Joe Marais is a South African wildlife artist whose work is defined by authenticity, field experience, and a deep, lifelong connection to the African wilderness. For more than 30 years, he has dedicated his career to capturing the wild, unfiltered essence of Africa — not as an observer from afar, but as someone who has lived its rhythm, its silence, and its unforgettable moments.
Joe’s artistic journey began not in a classroom or studio, but in the bush itself. With no formal art training, he developed his own distinctive style through intuition, passion, and thousands of hours spent in the presence of Africa’s wildlife. His preferred medium, acrylics, allows him to work with precision and realism, bringing to life the dramatic light, textures, and emotion that define his paintings. Every artwork he creates is rooted in personal field observation and reference photography — moments witnessed firsthand, often under challenging or thrilling conditions.
His research trips across South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe form the backbone of his creative process. Joe and his wife, Ilse, frequently camp in remote regions of Botswana, sleeping in a small ground tent while elephants, lions, and leopard move quietly around them at night. Days are spent at waterholes, observing animal interactions, sketching, and photographing the “magic moments” he later brings to canvas. These experiences give his work an unmatched level of accuracy, intimacy, and emotional depth.
Joe’s art has been exhibited internationally for decades. His career includes notable appearances at Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibition in New York, galleries across Canada, major South African art venues, Tuscany in Italy, Mauritius, Paris, London, and the Abu Dhabi Hunting Expo. His life-size 6m × 3.2m bull elephant — a monumental project requiring more than 500 hours — remains one of his most ambitious achievements and now belongs to a private collector. Over the years, his paintings have also supported conservation initiatives through numerous donations to African wildlife projects.
Collectors value Joe’s work for its honesty. Whether depicting an elephant bull, a zebra herd, or a scene at a dusty Botswana waterhole, his paintings are known for capturing the true spirit of Africa — its power, its fragility, its diversity, and its timeless beauty. Many buyers describe his art as a way to reconnect with the places they have visited and the memories they treasure.
Today, from his studio in Meerensee, Richards Bay, KZN, South Africa, Joe continues to paint the wildlife he knows intimately and respects deeply. His mission remains unchanged: to share with the world the extraordinary beauty of Africa, and to preserve its legacy through art that speaks from the heart.
Email: art@joemarais.co.za
Email: art@joemarais.co.za Cell: +27 76 4944 356
Website: https://www.artbyjoemarais.co.za/
