Beneath the bold and vibrant collection lurks darker visions of fear for the ecosystem. Within a span of 50 years, human interference with nature will turn what is deemed as familiar species to us today – giant panda, sea turtle, rhinoceros and the leopard, into mythical creatures for future generations. To cope with the loss of these animals, mankind can only turn to the use of digital methods, museum preservation and their portrayal in popular culture such as movies and art. Through this collection, Cynthia & Xiao aims to combat the loss of these animals by raising awareness of this human-caused crisis. Each graphic print in the collection are based on the imagery of endangered animals, depicting its course or consequence of its extinction.
GORILLA
The gorilla graphic print brings attention to the endangered species, predicted to be extinct by the end of the twentieth century due to the continued loss of habitat. Despite the symmetry between the great apes and mankind, we lack the ability to empathise with their kind and protect its population.
PANDA
The development of infrastructure is increasingly fragmenting and isolating panda populations, preventing pandas from finding new bamboo forests and potential mates. The dissolving pixeled Panda graphic reflects the aftermath of the population’s extinction where mankind can only depend on technology to preserve a memory of the species.
AMUR LEOPARD
Largely poached for its beautiful skin, the amur leopard population is down to its last 84. The leopard print serves as a reminder that alternatives can be taken to adorn the beautiful spots of an animal rather than hunting a life for materialistic desires.
ORANGUTAN
The rapidly shrinking forests and hunting of the orangutan critically endangers the species. In the orangutan graphic print, paint drip effects are graphically mimicked to express the gradual course of the orangutan population being melted away.
POLAR BEAR
The melting sea ice due to climate change threatens the population of the polar bears. The dancing polar bear print aims to brings awareness to the population by highlighting the loveable nature of the creature.
IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER
The Ivory-billed woodpecker is a species so elusive that it was believed to be extinct for half a century. The Ivory-billed woodpecker graphic print was designed as a homage to the magnificent creature
ELEPHANT
The illegal poaching of elephants for ivory and shrinking habitats have led to the drastic decrease of its population. The print depicts a contrast between an organic and geometric formed elephant. This symbolises that the lack of care for the species will eventually turn our knowledge of the elephant into abstract.
RHINO
The illegal poaching and demand of rhino horns in the black market poses as the biggest threat to the population. The rhino graphic was drawn up with skeleton frames to serve as a reminder that the lack of care for the species may result in fossilisation or even their disappearance without a trace.
