Philip McCulloch-Downs

Philip has spent all his adult life exploring and refining his creative skills, learning how to process the various experiences of everyday life through art, video-making, novels and poetry.

In 2014 he painted a portrait of animal rights photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, and the overwhelming reaction to this on social media changed his life overnight. This lead to him being one of the first members of The Art of Compassion Project the following year.

Through his work he aims to provide a connection with the creatures that he paints, treating them with a dignity that they are denied by the farming industry. His images bear witness to the character, suffering and individuality of each non-human animal, and by removing any barriers between "us" and "them" allows the viewer to feel an empathy that will hopefully change hearts and minds.

His ongoing collection of animal rights artwork attempts to bring hidden truths to light and to visualize uncomfortable concepts with accuracy and compassion.