---
title: "“Silent Slaughter”.  The Chatham Albatross series for World Albatross Day by Eva-Cherie Artz"
---

# “Silent Slaughter”.  The Chatham Albatross series for World Albatross Day by Eva-Cherie Artz

 ![Chatham Albatrosses 2 Eva Cherie Artz shrunk](https://acap.aq/images/WAD/Chatham_Albatrosses_2_Eva-Cherie_Artz_shrunk.jpg)

 [Eva-Cherie Artz](https://evacherieartz.co.nz/) is a self-taught artist based in Owenga on New Zealand’s [Chatham Islands](http://discoverthechathamislands.co.nz/), working predominantly with dry pastel and acrylics.  She is a Chatham Islander with both Maori and Moriori heritage.  On her website she has written: “Drawing on my experiences at sea and life on the Chatham Islands, I’m inspired by seascapes, bird and fish life, as my ancestors were.  My works represent a spiritual connection with the land and sea, using defining shapes to portray my subjects and the blending of colour to symbolise emotion and a character’s aura".

 ![Eva Cherie Artz shrunk](https://acap.aq/images/WAD/Eva_Cherie_Artz_shrunk.jpg)

 Eva-Cherie Artz with examples of her "Silent Slaughter - Chatham Albatross" series

 Her ‘muse’ is the [globally Vulnerable](http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/22698393) (and nationally [Naturally Uncommon](http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/chatham-island-mollymawk)) Chatham Albatross *Thalassarche impavida*.  This albatross, endemic to New Zealand, breeds only on [The Pyramid](https://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1315-acap-breeding-sites-no-9-the-pyramid-chatham-islands-new-zealand?highlight=WyJweXJhbWlkIiwibG9ybmEiLCJsb3JuYSdzIiwibm8iLCInbm8iXQ==), an imposing rocky stack situated south of Pitt Island in the Chatham Island group.

 [https://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1315-acap-breeding-sites-no-9-the-pyramid-chatham-islands-new-zealand?highlight=WyJweXJhbWlkIiwibG9ybmEiLCJsb3JuYSdzIiwibm8iLCInbm8iXQ==](https://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1315-acap-breeding-sites-no-9-the-pyramid-chatham-islands-new-zealand?highlight=WyJweXJhbWlkIiwibG9ybmEiLCJsb3JuYSdzIiwibm8iLCInbm8iXQ==)At *ACAP Latest News’* request, Eva-Cherie has produced two evocative paintings of Chatham Albatrosses in her "Silent Slaughter" series to mark the inauguration of  [World Albatross Day](https://www.acap.aq/en/world-albatross-day/introduction-to-world-albatross-day) on 19 June.  She writes: “The *Hook* represents the hazards and perils Chatham Albatrosses face when they are at sea on their life’s journey; the *Tear Drop* of blood represents the sadness of the fatalities and the birds that never return home; the *Rainbow* represents treasure and how valuable the albatrosses are to me and to the rest of the world; and the *Pyramid* represents their home, a small rugged island in the Chatham Islands group.”

 ![Chatham Albatrosses 3 Eva Cherie Artz shrunk](https://acap.aq/images/WAD/Chatham_Albatrosses_3_Eva-Cherie_Artz_shrunk.jpg)

 View more of Eva-Cherie Artz’s art [here](https://evacherieartz.co.nz/art-gallery/).

 With grateful thanks to Eva-Cherie Artz

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 March 2020*