For this exhibition, I was drawn to the Sumatran elephant because the challenges associated with its conservation relate directly to the concepts of fracturing and dispersal. This piece is informed by discussions with scientists and IFAW staff about Asian Elephant defense behavior and threat displays, as well as by scientific literature about habitat loss and the resulting fragmentation of increasingly isolated elephant populations on the island of Sumatra. I intend for the final painting to serve as a conceptual narrative for these shifting environmental forces, and, as with all of my work, to examine the dialogue between our contemporary culture and the natural world. Most of us experience the reality of wilderness and wild animals only in the imagination. The realm of the mind distorts, allegorizes, and projects onto these subjects in various ways. The animals in my paintings are meant to symbolize this ambiguity as their identities disperse into uncanny and surreal forms. Painting

As part of my research for this exhibition, I visited Foster Parrots, a rescue facility in Rhode Island. As I walked through the facility I felt scrutinized—not only by the birds that climbed their enclosures to stare and call to me, but by all the experiences that room held. All the faces of all the people who had passed these birds from country to country and home to home seemed to be looking back at me through so many parrot eyes. The need for rescue facilities, the director of the facility told me, is testament to all the ways people have failed these birds. This work explores three points from which this failure originates: when a Red and Green Macaw is taken from its nest and treated as a tradable object rather than a sentient being; when a bird is kept as a pet in an environment that does not meet its complex dietary, physical, and social needs; when a bird’s identity is forced to change as it passes through multiple homes. Illustration

In popular culture, the lion is the king. In reality, he's prey. African Lions are now victims in their own jungle. They have gradually died out in the Middle East and Northern Africa, with their populations in Sub-Saharan Africa diminished by an estimated 430,000 since the 1940s. Lions are losing their habitat to agricultural development, and dying because farmers are shooting or poisoning them out of fear that they will eat their livestock. The largest males are hunted as trophy prizes and their bodies are harvested for various medicines. Furthermore, leftover prides are taken over by new alpha males who kill all the offspring of the dead male. To counteract these deaths, Maasai warriors have made remarkable changes from their age-old “warriorhood” tradition of hunting lions to one that designates the men as Lion Guardians. In this piece, I aim to tell this narrative from the lion’s perspective.

Illustration

“Swimming Hammerhead” emphasizes the unique biology of this endangered species, including how it uses its massive head covered in sensors to find its food. This piece features the hammerhead shark, one of the many shark species endangered by the wildlife trade. Using line and colors, I wanted to give this fish energy and motion. I hope my decision to make art to support conservation inspires others to do the same.  Digital illustration

This piece is part of a series that draws comparison, through craft and symbolism, between the current economic model of the Fine Arts and the Roman Catholic concept of “Indulgences” or remittances from sin and penance through the payment of money. Each of these works references a particular crime or sin, and draws a parallel to equivalent Christian iconography. The indulgence is expiated through the purchase of the piece, although, like the original indulgence, nothing is actually changed or expiated. For the African grey parrot, my goal was to create an engaging, well-crafted visually appealing image/object that references the suffering of this bird in a religious and moral context through standard Catholic iconography augmented by scientific, economic and ethnographic facts. Parrot Indulgences references Medieval allegory, Victorian taxidermy mounts, Cathedral screens and bird cages. I own an American-bred African Grey parrot and feel a particular sympathy for them as objects of the wildlife trade. Sculpture

The Hawksbill Turtle is critically endangered due mainly to anthropogenic threats, especially wildlife trade, both illegal and legitimate. This has caused their numbers to dwindle, especially among nesting females, putting the species further at risk. Although basic protections are in place in many parts of the world for marine turtles, the legislation is neither consistent nor universal. As a result, these animals are vulnerable in most countries as well as international waters. In order to solve this problem, the public needs to understand the plight of the Hawksbill Turtle. Each of these pieces represents the impact of the wildlife trade on each major stage of their life in the wild. My goal is to emphasize the natural beauty of this animal while also informing the viewer. By clarifying the dangers these turtles face, I hope to inspire my audience to do further research and take action to save them.Scratchboard

The tragedy of the pangolin is not only the vast numbers of individuals traded, but the sheer lack of knowledge and understanding of this reclusive creature, both among naturalists and the public. To many the pangolin is a symbol of mythology, a dragon that couldn’t possibly exist outside fairytales, representing magic and the unknown. In listening to pangolin experts I found that even those who spent their lives researching the pangolin knew so tantalizingly little. To better protect these creatures, we must shatter this barrier of ignorance. We need demystifying and separate the real animal that is in need of our help, from the romantic imaginary one. Otherwise, this rare scaly mammal will disappear before it is known, and before we know it. Illustration

For this piece, I studied the use of rhinoceros horn as a trade commodity both for medicinal purposes and for carvings. The sculpted ornate rhinoceros head resembles traditional Asian Carvings. By sculpting the animal to resemble the object for which it has been killed, I hope to draw attention to the wildlife trade that makes use of the creatures’ bodies as commodities for profit and is forcing the species to near extinction. The collaboration with Creature Conserve was an opportunity to explore in a new way, the power dynamics within the nature/human relationship that I explore in my work, A Decadent World Topiary Garden. In this series, sugar sculpture, animals, and animal human hybrids are symbolic of this relationship. The photograph and diorama for the Creature Conserve exhibition are meant to show the beauty and destruction inherent in the human relationship with nature. Sculpture

I grew up in Korea reading many beautiful tales about Siberian tigers that roamed throughout my country, even though we have not had any since 1922. They were all killed by trophy hunters both foreign and local. This exhibition gave me the opportunity to learn why tigers are still being traded and what is necessary to bring them home. I was surprised to learn during our conference call with Grace de Gabriel, IFAW’s regional director for Asia programs, that the main problem is simple ignorance. She explained that many consumers of tiger parts do not know the ugly facts. They have no idea about the process of wildlife farming and trading. My intent with this piece is to create intrigue and encourage the viewer to compare and contrast the precious beauty of a living tiger with an animal kept as a skin product in a cage. I hope people will feel enough anger or guilt to change their behavior about wildlife trading. Painting, watercolor

I discovered during my research for this piece that conservation is infinitely more difficult in practice than in theory. I wanted to believe that all we needed to do to protect the Basking Shark was simply rave about its beauty and intriguing behaviors. It turns out that making the case for keeping this creature in our lives is much more difficult. The reason sharks are in trouble is clear: the Shark Fin Trade. I am convinced that public education is the solution. While some progress has been made, we need to continue to hit this issue hard. We need to make “finning” and the resulting loss of sharks more real, and more repulsive in order to radically change people’s opinions. We need to stop consuming a dish that has been a cultural symbol for centuries because there simply are not enough sharks. Stop the demand, and we can stop the decline. Mixed media sculpture

Art of Conservation is a non-profit organization working in Mexico and Africa. We inspire children, their families, and local communities to conserve biodiversity through creative learning and one-health awareness. In our classrooms, we provide role modeling by inviting professionals in the fields of ecology, biology, human and animal health, natural resource management, and more. Biologist Rocío Peralta, Supervisor for the Tulum Marine Turtles Program, spoke with our students about the Critically Endangered Hawksbill turtle. Following the discussion, the children created watercolor paintings, illustrating the major threats and solutions the Hawksbill turtle faces today. This canvas includes a mosaic of the children’s watercolors glued to the canvas to form the arms and hands; these depict the human presence that is both part of the destruction and the preservation of this turtle species. We hope that the painting conveys that the future of the Hawksbill turtle is up to us. Mixed Media

The Whale Shark, the largest fish in the ocean, is an animal that captures our imagination. In some cultures, we revere it, believing it connected to the heavens and stars. But its populations are dwindling and it is now endangered. According to IFAW data, the main threats to Whale Sharks today are overfishing for the shark fin soup industry as well as for meat and liver oil. Climate change is also a threat. In this piece I am attempting to capture the imposing and humbling presence of the Whale Shark, while simultaneously denying it. By removing the image and leaving the remnants of a massive painting, I hope to present to the viewer the emotional toll of their potential loss. The question is  "What would an ocean be like without Whale Sharks?” Painting

On the surface, there is no obvious relationship between the sale of tiger parts for traditional Eastern medicine and the use of tigers in circuses, or between wild tiger poaching and captive breeding. Before doing the research for this piece, this situation seemed a murky tangled web. Now, after talking with scientists and experts at IFAW, and doing my own reading and research, I see how the problems connect. Those who work in conservation and animal welfare, from zookeepers to advocates, have varying and sometimes conflicting perspectives toward tigers. Desires, ethics, and priorities all come into play. This piece is intended to address directly the poaching of wild tigers and indirectly the exploitation of captive tigers and the trade in tiger parts. Before we can make a bid to help these animals it is essential that we become more self-conscious and understand human attitudes toward them. Paper mache sculpture

While poaching remains a key threat to Hawksbill Turtle populations, often overlooked are the consequences of tourism. Tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Over one million new recreational scuba divers are trained each year. Though diving promotes greater awareness of marine life, overuse of dive sites contributes to disruption of nesting sites and feeding grounds. To combat these effects, alternative tourism models have emerged that encourage researchers to work with tourists and local residents to monitor and collect sea turtle data. Eager to assist with beach visits, egg monitoring, and hatchling release, tourists become engaged in conservation on an intellectual and emotional level. Not Just Leisure's reinvention of a traditional scuba ensemble calls for conservation efforts to support the development of conscientious tourist models, while the jacquard fabric’s long weft-floats, tropical colors, and undulating surface patterns reflect the habitat of the Hawksbill Turtle. Textile

Caged is a memorial for African Grey Parrots. These birds are declining as a result of habitat destruction and the pet trade. As part of my research for this project, I visited Foster Parrot, Ltd. in Rhode Island—a sanctuary that rescues and protects hundreds of unwanted or abused parrots and other displaced exotic animals. Parrots are the third most popular companion animal in the United States, and one of the most often abandoned. I was struck by the physical damage caused by life as a pet. Many parrots over-preen, or over-pluck, a condition called feather damaging behavior or feather picking. The reasons are: poor nutrition, overcrowding, social isolation, anxiety, boredom, inability to perform species-specific behaviors, and imprinting/hand-rearing. Few people are aware of the behavior until it happens to their own pet, and once aware, they abandon them. Caged allows us to grieve and reflect on the parrots who have suffered as pets in our home. Sculpture

My research for this project not only informed my work, but also sent my original concept out the window. My initial idea was to make a trophy head that would speak to the emotional outrage people feel when they confront a canned hunt; my example was the well known case of Cecil the lion and the revolting idea of lion farms facilitating big game packaged hunting trips. While claims that funds raised by this type of tourism go toward conservation turn out to be mostly false, total elimination of tourist hunting won’t save the wild African Lion either. What we need is to address the impact of humans, both globally and locally. The delicate web of life on planet Earth is at the tipping point; some would say well beyond it. The only way to save Panthera leo as a wild species is to preserve and protect the huge wilderness it needs to survive in a world of humans. Clay Sculpture

Hi! My name is Diego and I’m an African Grey Parrot. My owners say I like to bite. They gave me a Spanish name because they wanted it to sound exotic. ‘Ashanti’ might have been more appropriate because it’s an African name meaning ‘aggressive.’ My owners, they have no idea how to take care of me. Nor do they seem to know that although I was born in captivity, my parents were taken from the wild illegally. They survived an ordeal worse than mine; they were caught in a net while foraging on the ground for seeds, crammed into a small cage, and shipped to another continent, traveling for hours without food or water; most parrots die during this horrible journey. Please take a stand for the African Grey Parrot, if not for those of us already caged as pets, then for those who are left in the wild. Mixed media sculpture. 

The rhinoceros horn trade receives rightful focus from conservationists for the danger it poses (and has already posed) to the survival of both the African white and black rhinoceros species. The piece explores the irrationality of the demand for rhinoceros horn, seeing as it has been struck from traditional Chinese medicine manuals and has also been proven to have negligible medical effects under laboratory conditions. This inefficacy can be contrasted with the immense harm to a shrinking rhinoceros population that poaching brings. As someone who grew up in Southeast Asia, I am well aware of the often far too casual attitude towards exotic and endangered animal products. The materials and techniques in the piece reflect the common, almost-mundane composition of rhinoceros horns: keratinous structures protected by a matrix of melanin and calcium, a mixture found in beaks and hooves of other animals and separately in human nails and hair. Mixed Media

Like many people, I didn’t know much about pangolins before starting this project. As a child, I was a fan of wildlife documentaries. I remembered pangolins only as an interesting but faintly bizarre side feature in a series about mammals around the world. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to do more research on both the biology and conservation status of this fantastic creature, and to hear from IFAW experts currently working to protect pangolins from poaching and habitat destruction. The current situation is sobering but not completely depressing. In this piece I seek to acknowledge the extremely damaging way in which humans project their own desires onto wild animals, including the consumption of pangolin scales for medicine and meat for fancy meals. At the same time, I hope to give the viewer a chance to question their priorities and change their behavior. Mixed Media

This garment is inspired by the life experience of the beautiful and vulnerable African Elephant. I am fascinated by their family structure, including the way they take care of each other and their ability to show what we interpret as emotion. I am also distressed by what is happening to them as a result of their interactions with humans, especially poaching. There is no question the ivory trade has a psychological impact on these animals. Death, illness, injury, and fear experienced by one elephant impacts the rest of its family. I learned from IFAW many people who buy this commodity do not know the animal has to die in order for it to be harvested. The stitch patterning and visual aspects of this piece reflect the complex social lives of elephants, which is in my view far more valuable than a dead tooth. Textile

With this piece I question our desire for beauty and disregard for the damage caused to obtain it. The harm done in this case is to the Red and Green Macaw. Through the papers and talks provided by the collaboration with scientists, experts, and the IFAW staff, I was able to delve further into a situation I had only seen occasionally and superficially. Now I understand these birds are condemned because of their beauty. The perception of Macaws as luxury goods enables the cruel and reckless wildlife trade. I chose embroidery because it is a medium traditionally used to create beautiful and luxurious fabrics. It is also labor intensive, and the process gave me time to contemplate and process my own feelings of sadness, anger and impotence. The superimposed silver thread grid doubles as a visual reference to their captivity (cages, wires, etc.) and as a metaphor for the trade network. Mixed media

Nature has always fascinated me. I find harmony within its intricate systems. Since we are from the earth, not above it, I have always believed the answers to our questions must be right here in front of us. By creating sculpture about nature, I am showing respect for the environment and its creatures. I sculpt the work by hand and cast in bronze and glass to elevate the natural world to a state of preciousness. It is my hope we will appreciate the true value of our environment enough to nourish and protect it. In this sculpture, I redefine the concept of animal as trophy. I replace the real animal trophy with the artistic rendition of the animal in a way that honors the creature rather than destroys it. We can then possess the art about the animal, rather than the animal itself, allowing it to remain alive and in the wild. Glass sculpture

An estimated one hundred and four African Elephants are slaughtered by ivory poachers every day in Africa. This piece is a visual representation of that data. The elephants used here to represent the “one hundred and four” were photographed in captivity where they live on display for people yet remain safe and cared for, free from the dangers faced by their wild counterparts in Africa. Although traditional hunting rifles are still frequently used in elephant poaching, the rising weapon of choice is a semi-automatic rifle like the AR-15 depicted here. African Elephant populations are in steep decline, and it is only through the support of anti-poaching initiatives that we can hope to secure the future existence of these magnificent animals. Photograph

Chimpanzees are taken from the wild and turned into commodities; we prey on them for our needs. In Central Africa, they are captured, butchered, kidnapped and sold for the exotic pet trade. I explored this issue in depth and found myself feeling frustrated. There is no simple solution in light of complex interactions among cultural, economic, moral, and criminal factors. Instability, misinformation, and poverty all need to be addressed for Chimpanzees, our closest relative, to stand a chance. Empty stomachs will cloud moral minds and injustice will provoke vengeance as long as people are hungry and fighting each other in the countries where this animal still lives as wild. Bushmeat will continue to provide short-term calories and the pet trade will promise hope. If we are to save the Chimpanzee from extinction, it is vital that we understand the complex motivations behind their predation by human hunters. Scratchboard

In this piece I am exploring the current threats to the Amur Tiger by combining two artistic methods, animated and scientific illustration. By collaborating with scientists and animal experts, I now have a more intimate understanding of the personalities of these tigers as well as the problems they currently face in the wild. As a result of this process, I have learned about the playful yet solitary nature of these tigers, the lack of genetic diversity among this particular subspecies, and poaching for the wildlife trade. Through my artwork I hope to share with the viewer the many facets of the Amur Tiger, and convey the message that as a species it is extremely vulnerable.  Illustration