Eat Shit

(Acrylic gouache on canvas)

Recently I had the great pleasure of a tour around the extraordinary glasshouses at Kew Gardens. Of the many diverse and fascinating plants I was drawn to Nepenthes rajah, a type of pitcher plant that is native to Borneo. It evolved alongside mountain shrews which climb onto the plant to lick up a sweet nectar found in the lid. The nectar, whilst being absolutely delicious, also acts as a powerful laxative prompting the shrew to take a big old dump right into the plant’s gob. This acts as a nitrogen-rich fertiliser, so both the shrew and the plant get themselves a hearty meal.

This painting is my tribute to Nepenthes rajah and all the other shit eaters out there.