This artwork was featured in the artist's 2024 solo exhibition, Living Ghosts: Above and Below the Waves, held at the Salamanca Arts Centre in Hobart, Tasmania. The exhibition focused on Tasmania's threatened and endangered marine species, highlighting the urgent need for conservation to prevent their disappearance.
The piece depicts the Long-Nosed Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri), which is classified as Rare in Tasmania.
Historically, the Long-Nosed Fur Seal was hunted for its meat, blubber, and fur. While populations are recovering in other parts of Australia, the species remains rare in Tasmania. Today, the Long-Nosed Fur Seal faces numerous threats, including entanglement in fishing lines and marine debris, illegal culling by fisheries, pollution from oil and other contaminants, and the spread of infectious diseases.
Ongoing conservation efforts focus on legislative protection, public education, anti-pollution initiatives, and population monitoring.
Created using mixed media (paper, gouache and acrylic) on recycled board, the artwork is ready to hang.
In support of conservation efforts to protect Tasmania’s endangered marine life, 25% of the proceeds from this piece will be donated to the Australian Marine Conservation Society.