One of the National Zoo’s favorite artists, Kojo, a Western Lowland Gorilla, created this painting. Kojo was born at the Zoo in 2001 and lives with his family members in the Great Ape House.

Normally, I’d leave the art criticism to Kriston, since he’s a bazillion times more qualified to make such broad statements on the aesthetic merits of any new work.

But abstract pieces by animals? That’s probably safe territory for me to tread.

The Friends of the National Zoo’s ZooFari Online Auction — proceeds of which will support animal care, science, education, and sustainability programs at the Zoo — is up and running and has lots of neat stuff for sale. (So, who wants to name one of those leopard cubs?) But DCist’s eye was drawn to these pieces of art created by Kojo the Gorilla, Gomez, the large Madagascar Tenrec, a Naked Mole Rat and a Golden Lion Tamarin.

Kojo’s painting has proven to be the most popular by far, currently fetching $521 in an auction that still has a week to go. Both the tenrec and mole rat pieces remain affordable options at still under $100. But we’ll take the Golden Lion Tamarin piece as the best of the bunch; it’s blurring colors are something right out of a Lysergic hallucination. Plus, who can argue with that face? The passion of Pollack, but just with a lot more hair up top.

Filed Under: animals, art, auction, paintings, weekend, zoo,