My artwork “Remaining Days” is a tribute to three animals that are on the verge of extinction due to human-caused climate change. In a realistic style, I have displayed the animals on wooden boards – in the style of taxidermy mounts – to highlight three critically endangered species. If something is not done to counter climate change, future generations will never see such animals as these in the wild again. Instead, these animals will be mere decorations on museum walls, just like the Tasmanian Tiger, which was declared extinct in the 20th century.
As humans, it is easy to forget that we share the planet with many other species. Over half of the world’s population lives in cities, which means that most people in the world do not have any contact with wild animals other than watching them on the screen. People simply forget that there are many beautiful animals in the world such as the African wild dog, Amur leopard and panda that are struggling to survive due to human activities that cause pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change. I like to use art to bring to life the wild animals that many people simply forget about in their daily lives.
I have used the simplest of tools: a single pencil. I did not use anything more complex as I wanted to show the simple beauty of these animals. The monochrome medium also highlights their vulnerability – in a sense, they are almost extinct already unless something is urgently done to protect them. The only colour in the artwork appears in the eyes: the African wild dog (orange eyes), Amur leopard (green eyes) and the Panda (black eyes). I chose colour for the eyes to signal that these animals are not yet extinct and that there is still life left. But more importantly, there is hope. The title ‘Remaining Days’ is chosen to bring a sense of urgency; if something is not done globally to halt climate change then animals such as these will perish. I want viewers to look closely at these animals and to see their coloured eyes like a flame that is about to go out.
I live on a 30-acre property on top of a hill just outside of Hobart. We share the property with wallabies, kangaroos, possums and even an echidna. However, every time I get driven to school, I look out of the car window and see dead animals on the road that have been hit by cars overnight. I keep thinking that these bodies are piling upt and that the population of native animals in Tasmania is fast declining. I wanted to express this sense of loss I feel in ‘Remaining Days’ – so those who view my work also get a sense of the urgency of the problem. We must do something to protect native animals from extinction. Because if we do nothing now, the only wild animals that we will know about will be those displayed on museum walls – on taxidermy mounts.
My biggest inspiration is Leonardo da Vinci’s detailed drawings of animals, plants, and human anatomy. In the future I would like to do a series on human taxidermy mounts, using Leonardo again as my inspiration. A 2024 report by the World Economic Forum warns that by 2050, climate change may cause an additional 14.5 million human deaths as well.