African Elephant - Word Mosaic Art Print

Word Mosaic Art Print by Curtis Epperson

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ARTWORK

Strength is only half the story.

An elephant can weigh thousands of pounds and still be remembered for tenderness.

That may be what makes them so extraordinary. They form deep family bonds. They are intelligent, social and protective. They remember. And beneath all that enormous physical power is an animal capable of remarkable gentleness.

Curtis built this African Elephant entirely from 81 different words and phrases chosen to tell that fuller story: Great Memory. Guardian. Matriarch. Empathetic. Tender. Wise.

Over 19 hours, he drew and fitted the lettering together until the words became the trunk, tusks, enormous ears and quiet expression you see in the finished portrait.

From across the room, you see the giant.

Up close, all that strength starts speaking softly.

$30.00 USD

Your print includes

A certificate of authenticity with the complete word list, together on one sheet.

Unframed art print. The white border is part of the print.

Printed on premium luster photo paper.

WORDS WITHIN AFRICAN ELEPHANT

Start with a word.
Find it in the picture.

“Great Memory” · “Guardian” · “Matriarch”

These are only a few of the 81 different words and phrases Curtis used to create the elephant itself. The complete list comes with your print on its certificate of authenticity.

View African Elephant’s certificate and word list →

INSIDE THE ARTWORK

The words changed the way I looked at the elephant.

Detail of the original hand-drawn lettering in African Elephant

Lettering detail from African Elephant.

When I started working on this piece, I knew I could fill it with words about size, strength and the physical things we associate with elephants.

But those weren't the words I kept coming back to.

Great Memory. Guardian. Matriarch. Caring. Empathetic. Tender. Wise.

Those felt like the other half of the animal.

I spent 19 hours drawing and fitting 81 different words and phrases together until they became the finished elephant. One of my favorite moments in any piece is when all those separate letters finally stop looking like words and the subject appears.

Then the person looking at it gets to experience the whole thing backward.

You see the elephant first. You move closer. And slowly, you discover what it's made of.

— Curtis

Meet the artist →

African Elephant - Word Mosaic Art Print

Strength is only half the story.

Start with a word.Find it in the picture.

The words changed the way I looked at the elephant.

A few helpful answers

Start with a word.
Find it in the picture.