F. Tre Lawrence
Francis Tre Lawrence is an American Primatologist, conservation biologist and visual artist born in New York City. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA, he traveled to Madagascar to conduct conservation education workshops at the Centre ValBio research institute in Ranomafana National Park, where a combination of painting classes and field trips were used to educate local Malagasy students about the incredible biodiversity endemic to their country, of which they will be the future stewards and guardians.
Tre would go on to conduct similar workshops while participating as an artist in residence at the Sacatar Institute in Bahia, Brazil, as he encouraged students of Itaparica to engage with the ecological issues that affect the natural and cultural heritage of the island, which are inseparable. Seizing an opportunity to receive inspiration from first-hand experience, Tre returned to Madagascar, where he worked for five months at Centre ValBio as a research assistant on Dr. Andrea Baden’s Ranomafana Ruffed Lemur project, in which he collected data on the infant care and development of wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata). He later produced an illustrated manuscript collecting his observations made during the experience.
This marked the start of a pivotal moment for Tre, as observing these threatened lemurs in their natural environment compelled him to pursue a career in research, with the aim of using science to increase our knowledge of how animals are adapting to our rapidly changing planet, and thus learn how best to ensure their continued survival. Tre competed his Masters in Anthropology at Stony Brook University under the guidance of world renowned primatologist and conservationist, Dr. Patricia Wright, and is currently completing his PhD in Anthropology at the University of Calgary with Dr. Steig Johnson, investigating the effect of human-driven habitat disturbance on the ability of lemurs to effectively move through their environments.
Tre continues to create artwork inspired by his experiences in the field, driven by his insatiable curiosity for all things wild. Though a practicing scientist himself, he diverges from depictions of nature that are traditionally "scientific", and instead strives to capture the energy and emotion that he experiences when observing the natural world, inviting others to share in that experience. He hopes that his images can inspire viewers to discover and contemplate the nature present in their own lives, be it in the form of a Malagasy primate or a New York City pigeon, as he persists in advocating for the conservation of wildlife, and an internationally sustainable future that benefits all life on Earth.
