Elephant is Killing a Lion in Funny Way in 1975 1975

John Muafangejo made this linocut, Elephant is Killing a Lion in Funny Way in 1975. It's all about bold choices here, right? Stark black and white, a super graphic scene where an elephant’s doing just what the title says. You can almost feel him feeling out the process as he went. Look at how the white lines carve out the forms. The elephant's massive body, the lion awkwardly draped over him, the trees - it's like he’s wrestling with the material, making it say what he wants, but also letting the linoleum have its say. The white lines, in particular, have a mind of their own, they give the whole thing a wild, vibrating energy. Check out the lion’s mane, made of these tight, almost nervous little lines. They don't just describe the fur, they give you this sense of panic, of a cornered animal. Muafangejo reminds me a bit of someone like Martin Ramirez, both artists working from a place of raw, untamed vision. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection, it's about the messy, funny, and sometimes violent dance between the artist and the world.