Robert Oxley

Robert Oxley (born September 19, 1972) is an English wildlife artist who is known for his psychedelic interpretations of the animal kingdom. A keen conservationist, he has worked on projects with charitable organisations such as the Lions of Windsor Sculpture Trail and the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, which featured in the hit BBC Two series Big Cats About The House.
Early life
Robert was born in a coal-mining village in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. As a young child, he dreamed of becoming a zookeeper. His childhood home was surrounded by forests, which he explored with his friends. His father ran an allotment and a pigeon-racing club, and they would often spend time together watching natural history documentaries. At the age of five, Robert had his first artwork, a black-and-white crayon drawing titled 'My pet dog, Sam', published in a children's book.
Robert left school before his exams and briefly studied at art college in Newcastle before studying at the University of Salford in Greater Manchester.
Career
From 2010 to 2015, Robert joined local art communities, took part in local art shows and entered art competitions in the hope of having his wildlife art recognised. In 2010, he received a commendation from the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year panel. In 2015, Robert signed with the publishing group Washington Green Fine Art as a professional artist. His collections have included Instinct (2017), Primal Colours (2019) and The Dark Knights (2021), and his limited edition and original art is now exhibited at Castle Fine Art galleries across England, Scotland and Wales.
He has since worked on projects to include children in the arts, including a mural with the , and the Young Fine Artist competition, which works with primary school children across the UK.
Style and influences
Robert has experimented with many styles over the years, including abstract, photorealistic and traditional. His current style combines traditional wildlife art with psychedelic influences inspired by the British artist Glenn Brown. Other artistic inspirations include Mark Ryden, Terry Isaac, Walton Ford, Todd Schorr and Robert Crumb.
His signature drip-effect is created through layers of acrylic paint, and his focus on the chosen animal's eyes symbolises his desire to engage the viewer with the conservational issues threatening animals, including deforestation, climate change, poaching and habitat destruction. Explaining his passion for capturing the animal kingdom, Robert says: “Animals are the guardians, workforce and soldiers of our planet. I want to give meaning to humble creatures made more fragile in an ever-changing world."
Robert also brings references to music, literature and film into his work. He often listens to rock bands like Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam and Iron Maiden whilst painting, along with true-crime podcasts and wildlife documentaries. His most recent collection, The Dark Knights, was inspired by the black knight of Arthurian legend, and features a jaguar, lion and tiger.

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