Panni Loh is a British Chinese artist living in Sheffield and she has exhibited across the globe. She said: “I ran free art classes on zoom, initially it was just for my grandchildren but then their friends joined in too.
“It grew and grew with a regular session where I would demonstrate how to paint everything from garden birds and pets at home. They followed my videos and were invited to an online exhibition:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5hL2C4uHrE&t=40s
This led to ‘Let’s go on a Safari’, where Panni guided the children through painting lions, zebras, elephants, rhinos and giraffes speaking about their attributes and how important it was to protect them.
Panni said: “Imagine my surprise the next year when a travelling window opened and I got invited to visit Kenya. With very few tourists at that time there was just us and an African family in a small camp next to Masaai Mara.”
Panni sketched her travels and transformed them into exciting watercolour paintings for a special exhibition in Sheffield City Centre.
She added: “I was not only inspired by the animals but the villagers too.I went to go on safari but it was the people there that are too often forgotten with no schools available for the younger children.
“I decided to once again use my love of art to help and put on an exhibition to raise money.”
Life in and around the Masaai Mara charity art exhibition by Panni Loh at Sheffield Arthouse, 45 Carver Street, Sheffield S1 4FT from February 19 to March 12: https://www.arthousesheffield.co.uk/events to support, go to: http://altonmaasai.org/about/
