SUB

Sundiata Keita (c. 1215–1255), founding prince of the Mali Empire, subdues a river crocodile with his bare hands [AI series]

SUB captures a moment of close contact between man and crocodile. Their faces nearly touch, creating an unusual intimacy within the struggle. The man holds the crocodile firmly, while the animal twists beneath him.

Watercolour brings water, skin and scales together through fluid blues and detailed washes. The scene sits somewhere between tenderness and danger: a physical struggle rendered with surprising calm.