Wild Imprints
Wild Imprints is a creative endeavor inspired by the efforts of wildlife conservation organizations such as WildLife ACT and Elephants Alive. These organizations are dedicated to documenting and monitoring critical wildlife species to ensure their survival. Through my Wild Imprint art-making process, I seek to capture the essence of these magnificent creatures by incorporating them into the art-making process. Unlike conservation scientists who take blood samples, attach tracking devices and mould teeth after darting a wild animal, I create imprints of their footprints, ears, tails, trunks and skin. Working in collaboration with scientists, I use water-based paint, ink, and pencil to document the moment. The photographs taken during the art-making process are an integral part of the final artwork, providing a record of the site-specific interaction and serving as both evidence and provenance of each piece. Through Wild Imprints, I aim to convey to viewers the physical proof of the existence of these wild animals, whose time on Earth may be limited, and to remind them that we are not the only creatures that matter.