"Ursus Maritimus" highlights the polar bears (Ursus maritimus), the world's largest land predator and poster child of global climate change. Polar bears spend most of their lives on sea ice and are hence marine mammals. The ongoing loss of sea ice due to the changing global climate threatens their habitat. For this reason, polar bears are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
"The saddest thing about climate change is the suffering it is causing in the animal world. The plight of the polar bear is particularly heartbreaking to me because the bears evoke such sentiment. Their majestic countenance combined with a fuzzy, adorable appeal makes my heart melt. I chose the title of this piece, Ursus maritimus, because the bear’s Latin name is more evocative of the actual niche of this majestic creature. What makes this bear really special is that it swims and hunts in the ocean. My print depicts a troubling time for Ursus maritimus; human activities are encroaching upon the pristine Arctic wilderness, and global warming is shrinking the sea ice that the bear needs to survive. I portray the bear as being innocent and also powerless over the situation that is unfolding." -- Mary Iverson
