Only an Elephant Needs Ivory

Acrylic on Canvas (Sold)

102 cm W x 76 cm H
Elephant tusks are primarily used to dig for roots and strip the bark from trees for food, for fighting each other during mating season, and for defending themselves against predators. The tusks weigh from 23 to 45 kg and can be from 1.5 to 2.4 m long. Tusks have no intrinsic value, but ivory has been a status symbol for millennia in Africa because it comes from elephants, a highly respected animal, and because it is easy to carve into works of art. An African poacher can get $80 for a kilogram of ivory which is a lot of money in most African countries. But the big profit is made in Asia. Thai Customs recently evaluated smuggled ivory as being worth $1,800 per kilogram wholesale. And of course it is almost impossible to remove tusks from wild elephants without having to kill them first. My artwork draws attention to this shameful trade.