Wendy Maruyama

Mixed Media

Wendy Maruyama, The WildLIFE Project: Sonje (left) (2013) and Lekuta (right) (2014)(Installation view). Wood, string, paint. Dimensions: Sonje 100” l x 50” w x 24”d; Lekuta 100” l x 50” w x 30” d. © Wendy Maruyama. Courtesy of the artist.

The African elephant population dropped from 1.2 million to only 420,000 from 1980-2012, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, due to habitat loss and illegal poaching for ivory.

Moved by the dire statistics, Wendy Maruyama traveled to Kenya to meet with wildlife advocates and investigate illegal poaching. She fell in love with these majestic animals, adopting a young orphan, Sonje, who lived in a reserve, becoming a symbol of hope for her species’ survival.

Maruyama created The WildLIFE Project, a series of monumental wooden elephant heads, to bring elephants’ plight to public attention. The knots holding each elephant head together are a metaphor for uniting communities to address human disregard for nature’s wonders.