Endangered Species

We live in a world where species are hovering on the brink of extinction, going extinct or are facing dwindling population numbers due to climate change, deforestation, food source depletion, hunting, territory restriction and annihilation, and many other factors that can all be traced back to human activity. While it is widely agreed upon by most professionals that the impact of humans is the source cause of all modern extinction issues, there are many people who don’t believe, who don’t care and some who simply don’t know about the issue, it’s severity or why and how it impacts humanity at large.

This series of graphics, paintings and sculpture is focused on the animals that are currently on Endangered Species lists. In my research I have found that there isn’t just one endangered species list, but multiple lists with hundreds of species and sub-species outlined in different categories from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable. Some species that have been put under Critically Endangered, like the Northern White Rhino, having only 2 living members left. Soon these animals will only be known to us through pictures and descriptions.

As an artist, I want to do what I can with my skill set to bring these animals to life for people who may not know about them, who may not know about the severity of the issue and who may not have been able to engage with the issue through static photos or videos of far away places. Using various materials and a more expressive, graphic style I hope to show these animals in a different way, a more accessible, marketable way. I hope that the stories behind the animals and their lives become part of the conversation along with possible solutions to the problem of extinction.