The Elephant Whispers

Riya Patel 

The Elephant Whispers is a ceramic elephant representing one of my past memories and it is primarily made of clay and then glazed majorly using themes of green to represent nature. The sculpture is completely hand built and the techniques that are used include carving, slab construction and hollowing. This piece reflects one of my childhood memories where I went on an African safari with my family where we were on a cruise and spotted a giant elephant at the edge of the Nile river. Its huge body and large flapping ears amazed me and that became one of the best natural moments I had. The different shades of green primary showcase nature and how animal life totally depends on the trees and an increasing reduction of trees and forests causes many animals to go extinct. The idea to fade in white and dark green for the leaves was done to represent calmness and acceptance that elephants feel when in the wild. Overall, I want the viewers to understand how the elephant lives totally depend on the natural environment around them making deforestation the biggest reason for their extinction.

Medium: Ceramics 

Dimensions: 9.5"x5.5"