Robert Bateman is celebrated internationally for his original artworks and limited edition prints that capture the wonder and majesty of wildlife. As botanist Stanwyn G. Shetler wrote in an exhibition catalogue for the Smithsonian Institution, “As artist he is able to convey a vivid comprehension of diversity because, as naturalist, he has mastered the particularity of nature.”

The artist’s passion for nature can be traced to his teenage years, when he worked summers at a government wildlife research camp in northern Ontario. At university he studied geography, taking geological field trips to remote locations including Ungava Bay and Hudson Bay. After being accredited as a teacher of geography and art, he undertook with friends a round-the-world trip by Land Rover with stops in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia. Such adventures would inform his renowned environmental advocacy, as a fundraiser and spokesperson for the protection of animals’ natural habitats.

The recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Bateman was named a “Hero of Conservation” by the National Audubon Society. In 2015, he was the first visual artist to win the World Ecology Award from the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center. Besides the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, his works have been shown in prestigious galleries around the world and are held by public institutions including the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Denver Art Museum, the Glenbow Museum, the Hamilton Art Gallery and the National Museum of Wildlife Art, in Jackson, Wyoming. His artistic journey and significant contributions to both art and conservation will be featured in an exhibition at the Penticton Art Gallery, Unexpected Bateman, from July 5 to September 14, 2024.