Nathan Ferlazzo
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
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Nathan Ferlazzo has been drawing since the age of four. His preferred medium for years was graphite pencil until a fateful trip to an exhibition in Melbourne showcasing the landscape works of Eugene von Guerard in 2011. Inspired by the organic lines of Indian ink throughout Eugene’s notebooks, Nathan decided to try the somewhat less forgiving medium of traditional nib with Indian ink.
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With an admiration of animals and a love of detail, the floral experimentation quickly became an obsession to portray the animal kingdom in unique and intricate ink illustrations.
Nathan’s artwork explores the extreme evolution between flora and fauna, suggesting a surreal evolution over millions of years. The absence of colour in the work aims to foster a sense of reality resembling scientific texts and documentation of the animal kingdom.
WEB LINKS:
Website: www.mariniferlazzo.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mariniferlazzo
Instagram: mariniferlazzo
ARTIST'S REASON FOR PARTICIPATING
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I am fascinated by the animals we share this world with. Sadly, I find we humans are quite disconnected from the sentient beings such as the orangutan and the importance of the animal kingdom. Supporting initiatives like this exhibition will help raise awareness to help the very vulnerable species on this planet.
MONTE
Chained, Crippled, and Courageous
Monte was rescued by International Animal Rescue (IAR) in 2010 at around 16 years old, making him now well over 30—and still going strong.
Monte spent most of his early life in unimaginable conditions. Taken from the wild as a baby and kept illegally as a pet, he endured years of confinement in a cage no bigger than a kitchen cabinet, where he couldn’t even stand or stretch. As he grew, he began breaking free from the cage, so his owners chained him tightly around the neck, further restricting his movement.
When IAR’s team arrived at the house in Monterado, West Kalimantan, they found Monte severely malnourished, his legs trembling and atrophied from years of confinement. IAR’s Veterinary Director, Dr. Karmele Llano Sanchez, called him “the saddest orangutan I have ever seen.”
He was flown to the temporary centre in Ketapang, where, for the first time in years, he had space to move and the freedom to choose. Monte responded with heartbreaking beauty: he devoured a variety of fruits, investigated his nest of leaves, and began trying to climb—despite his damaged legs.
Now Monte is much stronger. He remains the largest and strongest orangutan at the centre, and though his legs were permanently affected, he can swing, climb, and move comfortably within his much larger enclosure. He especially enjoys papaya leaf enrichment bundles and the chance to rest in the leaves he builds into nests.
Monte’s journey is a powerful reminder of what resilience looks like. Despite everything he’s endured, he continues to find joy, strength, and safety in the forested sanctuary that now surrounds him.
