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Dear Friend,
Every Valentine’s Day, we at The Gorilla Foundation are reminded of Koko’s (and Michael's) love of painting and art. Koko learned to paint by expressing her thoughts and feelings with colors and shapes. She painted what she liked and named her work using sign language. Sometimes she painted what she saw around her, like “Bird" (based on a bluebird that used to visit her regularly), and sometimes she painted what she felt inside, like "Love."
What makes Koko’s art so special is that she used it to express her feelings without inhibition. It gave her an outlet that most gorillas in captivity don't have — but could.
Koko's paintbrush sets her mind and heart free!
Gorillas Koko and Michael have produced many beautiful paintings over the years, some representational and some more abstract. We’ve reproduced some of their best work in the form of high-resolution digital prints (which you can buy in our online store) and the above video contains highlights of some of their best work.
I hope you enjoy the video (and the gorillas' art) and that Koko's love inspires you as much as it does me!
Sincerely,
Dr. Penny Patterson, Ph.D.
President & Director of Research
The Gorilla Foundation / Koko.org
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