Celebrities, part of a series by Nabil Boutros entitled Ovine Condition, are studio portraits of ewes, lambs and rams, exalting the individuality and personality of each, in the same way that the tradition of portraiture in much European painting attempts to do. The choice of sheep is no coincidence: religion, psychology and, in general, modern culture all make constant reference to them. For the three monotheistic religions, each of which originated in a nomadic Bedouin environment, this animal is a close, everyday reference point; whether it’s the gentle, innocent figure of the lamb, the image of the shepherd tending to his flock, or the ram ready to be sacrificed. 

Recently, a new attitude towards our consideration of animals is emerging, a tendency which views them as sentient, intelligent beings, part of the same world in which we live, rather than religious symbols created and domesticated for our sole benefit. More and more we slowly begin to understand that animals are not just pieces of meat on our plates, but individual beings in their own right. Presented on their own, looking at us in the eyes, these highly individualistic portraits of sheep – indeed of distinct characters – challenge our presumption of sheep as interchangeable animals, lacking in soul and free will, and exemplary of the “herd” mentality. Their expressions are almost like a plea to us to acknowledge their personhood.