On Thursday Louis Masai’s ‘Batteries Not Included’ exhibition opened At The Lollipop Gallery, and what an exhibition it is indeed. In this show Masai has gone all out and presented a broad range of mediums including, paintings, prints, furniture, ceramics and film in order to showcase his work through which Masai sets to draw attention to issues pertaining to endangered species around the globe, and sets to make his art as the vehicle of change and promoting ecological awareness.

Taking on from the This Is Now project from last year in which Louis Masai painted ten pieces in seven days around London in order to draw a parallel between the shared element of the transient position of status of Street Art, here today, gone tomorrow, reduced to no trace of existence other than as a picture in a book, and the same fate currently awaiting the species which he painted. For the purpose of this exhibition Louis Masai has taken that idea and incorporated it into his concept of animals being reduced to nothing more than a child’s toy, a representation to the memory of itself, presenting a chilling forewarning against the damage and destruction mankind is perpetrating around the globe. The pieces in this show are in some cases sweet, in some cases tongue-in-cheek and in all cases strking.

Lost Souls – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Lined Seahorse – Atlantic Ocean – Threatened.

The Odds Stacked Against Us – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Alabama Red Belly Cooter. North America – Threatened. 

Detail of The Odds Stacked Against Us. 

Emperor’s New Clothes – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Cheetah – Africa & Iran – Threatened.

Gone In 60 Seconds – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Rhino – Africa – Critically Endangered.

Cross My Palm With Silver – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Orangutan – Asia – Critically Endangered.

Loving Life –  Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Spix Macaw – Brazil – Critically Endangered.

Lost Marbles – Sculpture: Resin Filled With Reclaimed childrens Dinosaur Toys. Depiction of a Hammerhead Shark – Worldwide – Endangered.

This piece was very much a highlight of the exhibit. Masai made this piece at specialist studio were resin based sculptures are produced, but the technology involved has never previously been used to create a work of this size. A real labour of love, this piece took Louis Masai some three to four weeks of solid work spread out over the period of a few months.

Don’t Let Go –  Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Coquerel Sifaka – Northern Madagascar.

Matching Wallpaper & Fabric Designs from Louis Masai, depicting elements of his previous Save The Bees project 

Batteries Not Included (Diptych) – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Red Crowned Crane – Japan – Threatened.

Batteries Not Included (Diptych) – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Red Crowned Crane – Japan – Threatened.

Fish & Chips – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood.

Don’t Be A Toy #1 – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Bee Hive.. 

Don’t Be A Toy #2 – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Bee Hive.

Don’t Be A Toy #3 – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Bee Hive.

Don’t Be A Toy #4 – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Bee Hive.

Don’t Be A Toy #5 – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Bee Hive.

The now trademark feature wall of the Lollipop Gallery with some spectacular fish added by Louis Masai for this exhibition.

Some toy animals placed aside the stairwell.

We’re Stuffed – Ursus Maritimus – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Chilling effect created by naming the animals by their Latin genus name, creates the sense of them already being long gone.

We’re Stuffed – Rhinopithecus Roxellana – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. 

We’re Stuffed – Lynx Paradinus – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. 

We’re Stuffed – Pteronura Brasiliensis – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. 

Russian State Circus Comes To Town – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Sumatran Tiger – Asia – Critically Endangered.

Detail of Russian State Circus Comes To Town.

Dancing With Wolves – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Red Wolf – South Eastern United States.

Bill & Ben – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Silverback Mountain Gorilla – Central Africa – Critically Endangred.

Extinction Is Not A Party Trick – Acrylics & Bitumen on Reclaimed Wood. Depiction of a Red Panda – South Asia – Vulnerable.

World Wide Fuck Up – Sculpture: Wood & Spray Paint. Depiction of a Panda – South Central China – Threatened.

Acrylics paintings of American Burying Beetle – Critically Endangered and the Bugginanut – Wooden Toy. 

The exhibition runs until 30th May so be sure to check it out if you can, one of the best exhibitions we have yet to see this year. Delightfully depicted subjects on a very impressive range of mediums and formats.