Certification of Authenticity

About the work

My work explores the relationship between humanity and the natural world, particularly the tension between fragility, resilience, and human impact. Inspired by the Australian environment, I am drawn to forms marked by time, climate, and transformation. Through figurative painting, I examine nature not as background, but as a living presence–powerful,, vulnerable, and enduring. My work reflects on what remains, what survives, and the delicate balance between destruction and renewal.

Inspiration

This painting was inspired by the impact of human activity on nature and the silent violence inflicted upon trees. By portraying the tree as an isolated portrait, like a human figure, I wanted to create an intimate encounter with a wounded living presence. The scars, abrasions, and bruised colours evoke both fragility and endurance. Rather than depicting pure loss, the luminous palette introduces hope and resilience. The stump, as what remains after destruction, becomes both witness and symbol of persistence. Through thick, tactile paint, this work reflects my desire to preserve dignity, memory, and presence in a world increasingly altered by human actions.

Process

Oil on canvas

This work emerged from encounters in the Australian landscape, where I was struck by the presence of aged, damaged tree trunks bearing the visible marks of time, climate, and human impact. I wanted to approach the tree as a portrait—almost as a living body marked by endurance and vulnerability. Working intuitively, without preparatory sketches, I built the surface with thick oil paint to create texture and physical presence. The white background isolates the subject, inviting contemplation. Through colour and material, I sought to balance fragility with resilience, transforming a wounded remnant into a quiet symbol of persistence and hope.

About the artist

Guillaume Dillée is a self-taught figurative painter whose work explores the tension between humanity and the natural world. Deeply influenced by Australia’s biodiversity, climate extremes and fragile ecosystems, his paintings combine botanical beauty with latent danger. Using layered mixed media including acrylic, oil, enamel and ink, he creates richly textured works where figurative realism meets surreal interpretation.