What will we leave for future generations? Immersed in the temperate rainforests of Canada’s West Coast, Mathias Horne has spent his life marvelling at British Columbia’s wildlife. Through his artwork, Mathias seeks to replace fear and misunderstanding with empathy and connection in the human — animal relationship. His use of intimate portraiture, defined by muted colours and dramatic lighting, strips the subject of its context, revealing its personality and soul. The closeness these portraits foster brings person and animal onto equal footing, calling into question the actions we take that endanger them and the reasons we feel license to do so. By subverting the man conquers nature narrative, Mathias’ ambition is to inspire a cycle of reciprocity between humans and nature that transcends personal action by influencing the political. In doing so, he hopes we can leave behind a world better than the one we inherited.