Protective Imprisonment 保護式囚禁

“If you love somebody, set them free.” One of my favorite lyrics. In the case of how we treat the elephant though, we might think visiting them at the zoo is an act of love, is it really? Kept elephants are often being used as a slave to move goods, as a monster to fight in our wars, or trained/tortured to entertain at the circus. Worst of all, people kill elephants and take their tusks to make a piece of ivory decoration to be admired.

This elephant sculpture is covered in layers of lead that looks like bandage or armor representing injury and protection. Its eye is red and its tusks are in blinking lights, reminding us about the dangerous situation caused by illegal poaching. True love does not come in the form of custody or imprisonment. The only place to admire this wonderful creature should be in their natural habitat where they belong.

This work is dedicated to the Burmese elephant Tino (天奴) that lived in Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park (荔園) from 1958 - 1989 in Hong Kong.

Plastic, texture paint, lead, rivet, LED light, chain, & glass

2014