How the Leopard Got Its Spots (Color) | Cristina Mittermeier

Segera, Kenya – 2025

This piece was created in Segera, a private conservancy in northern Kenya where the ancient rhythms of the African savannah unfold in golden silence. The image captures a solitary leopard sitting alone on an asutere branch—a moment of wild grace that speaks to my desire to bear witness to the poetry of the natural world.

Presented in two editions—one in colour and one in black and white—this work offers dual perspectives on a single truth. The colour print immerses the viewer in the sensory intensity of the place: the gentle warmth of the rising sun, the perfect camouflage of the predator’s coat, the breathless tension of its quiet stare. It is a study in harmony, in how light and form meet to express the fleeting beauty of the now.

In contrast, the black and white edition is a meditation in minimalism. Devoid of pigment, it leans into abstraction, where the negative space and muscular lines of the leopard become pure composition. The image becomes not just a document of an encounter, but a statement of visual philosophy: that nature’s design is its own form of art.

What I was trying to convey with this image is the quiet assertion that art and ecology are inseparable. No ecosystem exists in isolation. Just as the leopard governs balance in the grasslands, so too do its actions ripple outward—to forests, to rivers, and ultimately to the sea.

This photograph is not merely a visual experience; it is an invitation to contemplate the interconnectedness of all life. In owning this piece, one acquires not only a work of art, but a testament to the wild intelligence of Earth itself.

Available size options with and without framing are below;

Archival pigment print

Edition of 6 + 3AP
  • 20 x 30 in (51 x 76 cm)
  • 32 x 48 in (81 x 122 cm)
  • 40 x 60 in (102 x 152 cm)
  • 50 x 75 in (127 x 191 cm)

We ship worldwide and use a multitude of providers to safely deliver your artwork. Domestic delivery and installation may also be available via Hilton Contemporary’s private art shuttle. Please inquire.

    CRISTINA MITTERMEIER | Related Works


    CHICAGO | River North

    716 N. Wells St.
    Chicago, IL USA 60654
    info@HiltonContemporary.com
    +1 312-852-8200
    After Hours: +1 312-477-6060

    CHICAGO | Bridgeport

    Morgan Arts Complex
    3622 S. Morgan St.
    Chicago, IL USA 60609
    info@HiltonContemporary.com
    +1 312-477-6060

    Quick Link

    Privacy Preference Center