Takaya, the Lone Wolf
Art Collection by Naïma Namaste
Through my paintings of Takaya, I explored the many faces of the wild...its freedom, gentleness, solitude, mystery and spirit. His story touched something deep within me, and through him I began to paint not only a wolf, but the invisible connection between nature, memory, loss and the wildness within us.
Naïma Namaste
Messenger
Messenger was my very first Takaya painting and as a tribute to him.
I followed his journey from afar, fascinated by his solitude, his freedom, and the mysterious life he had chosen.
In 2019, I travelled to Vancouver with the hope of catching a glimpse of him.
I never did.
In March 2020, Takaya was killed by a hunter.
His story stayed with me.
He was one of the first wolves I felt an overwhelming need to paint...not simply as a wild wolf, but as a spirit, a presence, a symbol of something larger.
When I imagined him, I saw him emerging from a portal, travelling through the Butterfly Nebula, as though crossing between worlds.
He was carrying a message.
A message of awakening and hope.
Original available
Year of creation 2021
At Peace
After Messenger, I felt I had more to say about Takaya.
I wanted to paint him not as the solitary, powerful wolf we so often imagine, but in a moment of complete gentleness.
I came across a photograph of Takaya resting among wildflowers, and it touched me deeply.
He seemed so peaceful there, surrounded by flowers, simply resting.
There was something about that image that stayed with me.
We often think of wolves as powerful, mysterious, wild creatures. We forget their gentleness.
We forget that they, too, rest.
They seek comfort.
They enjoy beauty.
They have their own rhythms and moments of peace.
They are not so different from us.
And I wanted this painting to honour that side of Takaya...the quiet, tender side of the wild that we don't always see and seem to forget...
At Peace found its way home to Cheryl Alexander, who had spent eight years observing Takaya and sharing his story.
That meant so much to me.
The painting was not simply going to a collector.
It was going to someone who had known Takaya's story intimately and had helped keep his memory alive.
And somehow, it felt right.
Takaya had lived near Vancouver Island.
And now this painting of him would remain there too.
He had come home.
Original Sold
Year of Creation: 2021
Ocean Heart
This is the third painting of Takaya...
This time, I imagined him resting on a rock, surrounded by the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, beneath the moon and in the back a majestic oak tree and the mountains.
The painting came from a different place in me.
There was no sadness in it.
It was pure joy to create.
I was painting the spirit of the coastal wolf, but I was also painting my own memories of Vancouver Island...the feeling of its wild coastline, its immense nature, and the sense of magic I experienced there.
This isn't a literal portrait of a place.
It is a dream.
A memory transformed by imagination
Original sold
Year of creation 2021
Howling to My Heart
Howling to My Heart marked the beginning of my Wild Woman series. I felt called to keep painting wolves and women: two powerful symbols of instinct, intuition, freedom, and the untamed self.
Through these paintings, I explore my own connection to the wild and to the elements...earth, water, fire, and air...and the ancient part of ourselves that still remembers how to listen, feel, and belong.
This painting is not available.
Year of Creation: January 2022 during the Wolf Moon
Desert of Love + A Wolf in Meditation
Continuing the journey of Takaya, I felt called to create these two paintings
One capturing his powerful howl, the other showing him in a quiet moment of rest, almost as if in meditation.
Together, they reflect the spirit of Takaya: wild, free, gentle, and deeply connected to the natural world.
Through these paintings, I wanted to honor his story and make the world see wolves in a different way...their strength, their solitude, and their way of simply being.
Desert of love is Sold
A wolf in meditation. is available
Year of creation 2022
Total Eclipse
Total Eclipse was born during the Blood Moon of 2022.
It emerged from an old painting, and the transformation felt almost unexpected. I remember painting the moon phases late into the night and feeling completely immersed in the experience.
For me, this painting marked a turning point in my art journey...a moment of transformation, both in my work and in myself.
Soon after, You Are the World, a very special painting of a woman and a wolf, came to life.
Original available
Year of creation 2022
Love Holds All Things
This is my latest painting of Takaya...
To me, Takaya embodied both incredible strength and quiet gentleness.
As I painted, I kept coming back to the idea that true strength doesn't need to overpower. It can be calm. It can be compassionate. It can be rooted in love.
In this painting, Takaya walks peacefully across the bluff at sunrise. The first light of day surrounds him, reflecting the quiet beauty of life awakening.
The sunrise represents hope, renewal, and the promise of a new beginning. Through Takaya’s presence, I wanted to capture that feeling of peace and connection, a moment where the wild, the earth, and the spirit seem to become one.
For me, this painting is not only about Takaya, but also about the beauty of life, the resilience of the wild, and the hope that continues to rise with every new dawn.
Love holds us.
Love guides us.
Love holds all things.
Original available
Year of creation 2026
